The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated human lives, the global economy, and educational systems. Given the enormous financial hardship on families, the mass movement of people, and the closing of schools, the risks of human trafficking have increased. In this environment, multidisciplinary interventions coupled with innovation, technology, and entrepreneurial thinking must remain a priority.
This post is part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ blog series on human trafficking, in which CFR fellows and other leading experts assess new approaches to improve U.S. and global efforts to curb trafficking and modern slavery. This post was authored by Christina Bain, visiting researcher at the Center for the Study of Europe at Boston University Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, and Louise Shelley, the Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Endowed Chair and the director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government.