30 victims of human trafficking identified in Cyprus in 2025

In 2025, 30 people in Cyprus were officially recognised as victims of human trafficking — 16 women and 14 men. The information was provided by Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights Maria Stylianou-Lottides on the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

According to her, five convictions were handed down in human trafficking cases last year. At the same time, she stressed that the actual scale of the problem is significantly greater, as many cases never come to the attention of law enforcement authorities.

According to Eurostat data, 9,678 victims of human trafficking were registered in the European Union in 2024, along with 7,966 suspected traffickers identified and 2,599 convictions handed down.

Statistics show that women and girls accounted for 63% of registered victims. At the same time, labour exploitation was reported as often as sexual exploitation.

The Commissioner noted that, despite improvements to legislation, serious problems remain: victims cannot always be identified in time, many are afraid to contact law enforcement authorities, and criminals are increasingly using digital technologies and artificial intelligence to find and recruit new victims.

She stressed that the fight against human trafficking must focus not only on punishing perpetrators, but also on protecting victims, ensuring their safety and support, and giving them the opportunity to return to normal life.