Muslim countries in the Middle East and north-central Africa lead the world in human trafficking, according to a new U.S. State Department report. Of the 17 countries that were given the "Tier 3" listing reserved for the worst offenders, nine were Muslim countries or countries with a large Muslim population from these two regions. Tier 3 countries are defined as those “whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards" of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 and "are not making significant efforts to do so.” 

The Middle Eastern countries with Tier 3 status are Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. The north-central African countries are Mauritania, Chad, Sudan, Niger, and Eritrea, all of which have very large Muslim populations.

Full Story