Human trafficking is the trade of humans.
Human trafficking is the trade of humans , most commonly for the purpose of forced labour , sexual slavery , or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others . Human trafficking is the trade in people , especially women and children , and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person from one place to another . According to the International Labour Organization ( ILO ) , forced labor alone ( one component of human trafficking ) generates an estimated $ 150 billion in profits per annum as of 2014 . In 2012 , the I.L.O. estimated that 21 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery . Human trafficking is the trade of humans that can occur internationally or within a nation , often with a goal of sexual slavery , forced labor , commercial sexual exploitation or the removal of organs .