Southeast Asia is experiencing one of the most complex intersections of displacement and human trafficking globally. Political upheaval, armed conflict, human rights abuses, economic instability, and environmental degradation have uprooted millions across the region. Many displaced people live without legal status or adequate protections, making them highly susceptible to exploitation and trafficking.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Southeast Asia is a major origin, transit, and destination region for human trafficking. Displaced individuals are among the most at-risk, as traffickers prey on their desperation and limited options.

Under international law, trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means for the purpose of exploitation. Displaced populations, who often lack legal protections and economic opportunities, fit squarely within the profile of those most vulnerable to trafficking networks.

Human trafficking across Southeast Asia is deeply intertwined with the region’s growing displacement crises. Refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and climate migrants face severe risks of trafficking for forced labor, sexual exploitation, and, increasingly, coerced participation in online scamming operations. This policy brief examines the link between displacement and trafficking in Southeast Asia, identifies key gaps in protection, and outlines urgent actions needed by governments and international actors to protect vulnerable populations.

Click here to read the full brief.

USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.

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