A new European Union report says the problem of human trafficking is deepening in Europe, with the number of victims increasing as the number of convictions falls. Nearly 24,000 people were victims of human trafficking over a three-year period, according to the report, but its authors said the actual number is probably far higher, in the hundreds of thousands. On Monday, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström urged EU member states to take action.

Cecilia Malmström: “Unfortunately today, we know with certainty that the situation regarding human trafficking in Europe has deteriorated. The number of confirmed or presumed victims of trafficking increased by 18 percent between 2008 and 2010.”