Human traffickers are capitalizing on widespread chaos at migrant reception centers across Southern Europe to transport their victims undetected and lure other migrants into forced labor, a European security watchdog said on Wednesday.
Migrants waiting for their asylum claims to be processed or stranded at borders in countries including Greece and Italy are falling into the hands of traffickers, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in a report.
A lack of proper accommodation, limited funds and support services, and overstretched staff at reception centers means trafficking victims are slipping through the net, the OSCE said.