The United States government awarded Taiwan a Tier 1 ranking in its 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report released on Monday Eastern Time. This marks the 15th consecutive year that Taiwan received top tier status.
The report lists several countries, including China, as Tier 3. It identified 13 countries, including China, as having “documented policies or patterns” of government-supported human trafficking.
Voice of America reported that China's Tier 3 status reflects insufficient efforts to combat human trafficking that fail to meet the standards of the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. Taiwan's Tier 1 ranking indicates full compliance with TVPA standards and active anti-trafficking measures.
Hong Kong is classified as Tier 2, sparking strong opposition from its government. The Hong Kong Wen Wei Po newspaper reported that the Hong Kong government strongly disputes its Tier 2 ranking, calling it extremely unfair, biased, and lacking factual support.
The 2024 report also discusses the increasing use of digital platforms to facilitate human trafficking, such as the use of dating apps and social media to lure potential victims. It highlights how traffickers often use fraudulent online job postings to recruit victims, subsequently detaining them and using violence to force them into participating in online criminal activities.