Dangers of human trafficking

Child trafficking is often described as modern day slavery. despite legal and social measures aimed at combating the practice, it remains rife in a number of west african countries.

2022 is not yet one month old, but already around a thousand people have made "irregular" crossings from France to the United Kingdom – putting a spotlight back onto the issue of migration between the European Union and its former member state. Margaritis Schinas is European Commission Vice-President, and the Commissioner in charge of migration and asylum issues. He tells FRANCE 24 he wants "clarity" from the UK over how it wishes to proceed in tackling the issue of thousands of people risking their lives each year to cross the English Channel.

The Evros River is one of the last obstacles for refugees and migrants crossing from Turkey into Greece on land, but its strong current and treacherous wetlands have claimed many victims. For more than 20 years, coroner Pavlos Pavlidis has been trying to identify them and give their families a sense of closure.

We take a look at how DNA tracing used to catch serial killers is now being applied to poachers. But first, we see how the press is covering an honour killing in Pakistan, Vladimir Putin's theatrical, de-escalation meeting with Sergei Lavrov and Valérie Pécresse's "flop' of a French presidential campaign rally.

Decades of conflict has made Iraq a hotbed for trafficking. From weapons to drugs, Iraq has dominated headlines. However, less attention has been focused on the trafficking of wild animals. In fact, the Middle East is considered one of the hubs of animal trafficking. Our correspondent in Iraq, Lucile Wassermann, went to meet the players in the trading of wildlife to understand the drivers behind it.

UN organisations call for collective effort to save lives. In tonight's edition: In a historic call to action, a dozen international oganisations urge countries to do more to support the thousands of vulnerable people who head out on migration routes each year.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.

The Honduras Supreme Court has backed the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez to the US to face charges of drug trafficking. If convicted, Hernandez could face a life sentence.

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted last year of helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse girls for years. The British socialite called for a new trial after it was revealed that a juror failed to disclose their past abuse.

Endemic poverty makes Malawi easy pickings for traffickers. The pandemic and fallout from Russia's war on Ukraine has exacerbated the situation despite government efforts to curb human trafficking.

Authorities arrested 205 people tied to Central and Eastern European gangs smuggling tens of thousands of Syrians in the EU. The €150 million ring used Vienna as a hub to move migrants from Hungary to Germany and France.

In a bid to reassert US influence in Latin America and counter Chinese influence, Biden signed a new pact to take more laborers and offer greater humanitarian assistance to migrants.