The Rise of Trafficking for Forced Criminality
The Hidden Form of Human Trafficking
Imagine being trafficked, forced to commit crimes, arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned as a criminal instead of a victim. This is the reality of trafficking for forced criminality, and it is on the rise across Europe. On June 12, 2026, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) published a report warning that this form of exploitation is increasing and requires urgent action from governments to protect victims and prevent their criminalization.
“Failure to identify them as victims of human trafficking results in their being arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned and/or deported.” – Conny Rijken, GRETA President
What Is Trafficking for Forced Criminality?
Victims are compelled to commit crimes such as drug trafficking, property crimes, money laundering, document fraud, and online scams. Traffickers exploit vulnerabilities including poverty, homelessness, unemployment, precarious migration status, disabilities, and addictions. Children and young people are exposed to numerous risk factors, especially unaccompanied or separated minors, children in residential care, and those from disadvantaged minorities.
A Growing Crisis
Forced criminality has emerged as the main form of exploitation of child victims of trafficking in the United Kingdom, affecting predominantly UK children. In Croatia, criminal exploitation accounted for nearly a third of identified victims between 2020 and 2024. In Albania, the Republic of Moldova, Denmark, and the Netherlands, trafficking for criminal exploitation accounted for between 7% and 15% of victims. While this type of trafficking is increasing in many European countries, GRETA notes that it is underrepresented in the data collected in some countries.
The Online Recruitment
“The recruitment of victims is often initiated online, via job announcements, service advertisements, gaming sites and social media,” said Conny Rijken, President of GRETA. Victims are lured with promises of work, then forced into criminal activity. This digital recruitment is making trafficking for forced criminality harder to detect and prevent.
The Non-Punishment Principle
Trafficking for exploitation in criminal activities is directly related to the application of the non-punishment provision of the Council of Europe anti-trafficking convention. The convention requires countries to provide for the possibility of not imposing penalties on victims for crimes they were compelled to commit. Yet only 22 of 47 countries evaluated by GRETA have adopted specific legal provisions on the non-punishment of victims of trafficking. GRETA President Conny Rijken noted: “The number of such countries has increased following recommendations made by GRETA. Nevertheless, progress remains incomplete, and we call on states parties to continue strengthening their legal frameworks and practices.”
Conclusion
Trafficking for forced criminality represents a cruel irony. Traffickers exploit victims, then are punished by the state for crimes they were forced to commit. The Council of Europe’s GRETA expert group has sounded the alarm, but progress on the non-punishment principle remains incomplete. The recruitment of victims often begins online, through job announcements, gaming sites, and social media. Children are especially vulnerable. Trafficking for forced criminality will continue to rise as long as victims remain invisible to law enforcement, treated as offenders rather than survivors.
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