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Washington, D.C. – Last week, the U.S. Department of State released the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. The report ranks every country, including the U.S., from Tier 1 to Tier 3 status based on their governments’ efforts to meet minimum standards to eliminate trafficking. The report does not rank countries based on their prevalence of human trafficking. The International Labor Organization estimates traffickers make $236 billion in profits on an estimated 28 million victims each year. And while many of the most notorious malign countries like Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, North Korea, Iran, and Russia remained at the bottom of the rankings in Tier 3, only two countries were downgraded to Tier 3 – Brunei and Sudan. Overall, 19 countries dropped in tier rankings, and 21 countries improved in tier rankings. Below is a statement from Chairman McCaul.

“The U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report continues to demonstrate how ruthless and opportunistic traffickers are in their pursuits to exploit innocent people all over the world, including American citizens. While progress has been made, much more work is needed to stop traffickers. I am particularly concerned about the growing trend of traffickers forcing their victims to scam Americans out of billions of dollars. I am also heartbroken by the high levels of trafficking of children for online sexual exploitation and abuse. We need to invest in online technology to deter these perpetrators and to remove child sexual abuse materials from the internet. I remain committed to working with colleagues to move key legislation in Congress to end the scourge of human trafficking and ensure our foreign assistance prioritizes the safety for those who receive it.”

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