The United States has added Brunei and Sudan to the human trafficking blacklist, citing their insufficient efforts to combat the issue. Brunei, a US partner in the ASEAN bloc, has failed to convict any traffickers for seven consecutive years and has been accused of mistreating victims. Meanwhile, Sudan’s recruitment of child soldiers contributed to its ranking on the Tier 3 blacklist amid internal conflict.
However, some countries have shown improvement, with Algeria being removed from the blacklist for significant efforts to combat trafficking. Egypt, South Africa, and Vietnam have been taken off the watch list due to increased prosecutions and assistance to victims.
Despite progress, human trafficking remains a prevalent issue globally, with an estimated 27 million people exploited. The use of technology by traffickers has exacerbated the problem, but advancements in AI have also helped combat trafficking.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of using technology to hold perpetrators accountable and disrupt trafficking networks, highlighting the ongoing efforts by NGOs in this area.