Human trafficking: the facts
Worldwide 2.4 million people are trafficked: half of these are children
It is the fastest growing form of international crime, with over £3.5 billion generated
through trafficking every year
Each person trafficked is worth upwards of £50,000 in a country of destination
Albania is primarily a country of origin for trafficking, with two-thirds sent to either
Greece or Italy. Estimates are that one in 50 reach the UK
Albanians are trafficked out through three main routes - overland (69%), sea (23%) and
air (8%)
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reports that, over a period of four
years, more than 4,000 Albanians were trafficked - although less than half of those
were identified and assisted by IOM
How you can get involved with In transit
Join BMS World Mission's In transit campaign and support evangelical Christians in Albania as they actively lobby their government to create more effective legislation. We are calling on Baptists in the UK to sign and return the In transit postcard. Later this year all postcards collected will be presented as a petition to the Albanian ambassador in London.
Order postcards for your church at www.bmsworldmission.org/intransit or by calling 01235 517617.
Also on the website are several ready-to-use service resources, a short downloadable video, articles and action points, as well as an electronic version of the postcard.
Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, voiced his support for the initiative: "I am delighted to support this important initiative by BMS. Human trafficking is a vile trade and we need to stand together with all those who are opposing it. We cannot sit back and simply shake our heads in disapproval. We must act and I urge you to respond to join in this powerful postcard campaign."
This article first appeared in the Baptist Times (7 June 2007)
