Human trafficking is a multifaceted crime, primarily aimed at exploiting the most vulnerable groups of society, as identified by the United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women, and Children—an adjunct to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. It is the third largest and fastest-growing organized crime globally, following drug trafficking and illicit arms dealing, according to a 2016 study by the American University in Cairo (AUC). According to Egyptian law, a person is guilty of human trafficking if they engage in any form of exploiting people. This includes selling, offering, purchasing, using, transporting, delivering, harboring, or receiving a person, whether within the country or across its borders. Sexual exploitation, prostitution, the exploitation of children in sexual activities and pornography, forced labor, slavery or slavery-like practices, begging, and the removal of organs or human tissues, are some of the actions Egyptian law also specifies as various forms of human trafficking and exploitation. Human trafficking is a pressing issue around the world. As of 2017, the US National Human Trafficking Hotline reported that there were 40.3 million victims worldwide, including around 25 million in…
