I wrote a diary with the same title over a year ago, I wont repeat it here but I suggest you read it as well.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
The situation has not improved, in fact its probably worse.
600,000 to 800,000 women are transferred illegally across International borders every year, this is equivalent to what we usually term as the Slave Trade, which at its peak bought and sold 80,000 slaves per year. How many are sold into slavery every year? Probably well over 3 million women and children.
This is the silent scourge of our times; the equivalent of a whole nation has descended into the brothels and private hells across the globe. These women are abused, owned and alone, with virtually nowhere to turn. I hear few voices clamoring for their freedom, I hear few brave speeches, and I see even less action.
I suggest you read this book by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn.
How many die each year?
Its big business
Traffickers who subject women and children to prostitution and forced labour are engaged in one of Europe's most lucrative crimes a £2 billion a year, modern-day slave trade whose victims are growing by 50 per cent annually, a United Nations agency has said.
Globally
This trade appears to be increasing, both nationally and internationally; and it is estimated that human trafficking has become the second largest illegal business in the world after the arms trade.
Women and children are not the only ones effected by this modern slave trade approximately 15% to 20% are men, mainly used as forced labor.
The total for this trade is estimated at being over 4 million people per year
the United Nations estimates that global trafficking involves at least 4 million people each year
Edit
Here is the link to the original pdf, sorry for the garbled nature of the original block quote
We here a lot about the War on Drugs which is in fact a smaller business and the end users take drugs voluntarily [in the main].The slave trade does not involve mere raw materials but human beings, and the violence can be even greater.
Why is there no War on Slavery? Perhaps there is no money in it?
If the trade continues to increase at its present rate it will surpass what we all think of being The Slave Trade many times over.
Perhaps a little border control wouldn't go amiss? Never mind those seeking work; how about those being forced to work?
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Action
Stop the Traffik
Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
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H/T to SoCalHobbit for embedding this in the comments.