Human trafficking remains a hidden yet urgent reality in Malta. As of 2025, the country continues to be classified as a Tier 2 destination, with dozens of potential victims identified each year. These victims—primarily originating from Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa—are most often exploited in the construction and hospitality sectors, with a growing number trapped within massage parlours and the sex trade.
Despite increased enforcement, formal recognition for victims remains low, and many continue to suffer in silence. These statistics represent more than data; they represent brothers and sisters living in our midst whose dignity is being systematically stripped away.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It keeps people in chains of abuse, violence, and threats, where they are bought and sold as mere commodities. This crime is not just a global issue; it is a local one, often disguised as something ordinary—cheap labour, domestic work, or “consensual” services—when in reality, these individuals are being controlled and coerced.
In his exhortation Dilexi te, Pope Leo emphasizes the need for “Incarnate Charity” and denounces the “culture of indifference” that allows such suffering to persist. Christian charity cannot remain an abstract concept; it must become “incarnate”—visible and active in our daily choices. We are called to “make our voices heard” and use the “force of good” to eradicate the unjust structures that make people vulnerable to exploitation.
Because this suffering stays largely out of sight, it is easy to sustain without realizing it: by choosing the cheapest option without asking questions, ignoring warning signs, or treating exploitation as someone else’s problem. As Christians, we cannot remain indifferent. If we believe every person is made in God’s image, then we must refuse to benefit from another person’s degradation.
To honour this commitment, Pope Francis has designated the 8th of February—the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, who herself was sold into slavery—as the World Day of Prayer, Reflection, and Action against Human Trafficking. Awareness must lead to action: we must pay attention, support services that treat workers fairly, and speak up when something feels wrong.
On this day, the Justice and Peace Commission in conjunctionwith Yours in Christ, invites all to join in prayer for the victims of human trafficking during Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd in Ħal Balzan at 4:30pm.
