The US Department of State on Thursday listed Taiwan in tier 1 in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report for the 11th year in a row. Taiwan’s consistently high ranking in the report demonstrates that the nation’s authorities take trafficking seriously and have been effective in combating it.
However, major trafficking-related arrests occur annually, meaning that preventive measures must be improved. Perhaps punishments are too lenient or perpetrators feel that the financial rewards from their actions outweigh the risks. It could also be that victims are unaware of the danger when, for example, they approach recruiters in their home country as they seek to travel for work or study.