Human trafficking cases to surge, predicts social welfare chief

The government’s welfare services are predicting a steep increase in human trafficking reports over the next two years, in contrast with the relatively small number received last year.
This is because cases are currently underreported, according to the chief executive of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, Alfred Grixti.

The foundation’s annual report showed that last year the foundation received 18 reports of human trafficking.
They included six cases of labour exploitation – such as employers promising foreign workers a certain package but paying them peanuts once in Malta – as well as five allegations of sexual exploitation and four claims of domestic servitude. A typical case of domestic servitude would be employing a Filipino carer and retaining their documentation. “We are sure there is more and there is huge underreporting,” said Grixti.

He explained that human trafficking reports had dropped from 48 cases in 2018 and 2019 to 26 cases in 2020 and only 18 last year.
One factor behind the decline is that the COVID pandemic forced many foreigners to leave Malta.
Record use of social services
The annual report, released earlier this month, showed that in 2021 a...