Vietnamese girl escapes

October 13, 2023.  Human traffickers are getting more sophisticated – using high tech methods such as mobile phones and social media accounts to target young girls in remote mountainous areas, mostly teen girls between 15-16 years old who are not well-educated, have limited social awareness and live in precarious circumstances. Most households in Lai Chau Province in Vietnam own mobile phones.  Criminals take advantage of this to approach girls online instead of showing up at the commune and talking to the potential victims.

Human traffickers use common tricks such as taking advantage of social networks to make friends with potential victims, get acquainted, pretend to be in love, or act as brokers for illegal foreign marriages. With these tricks, they sell many young girls to restaurants, karaoke bars or into prostitution and forced labour organisations.

The Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam reports on the escape by a girl in Lai Chau Province.

Photograph by the Press and Information Team of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam