File photo: Getty ImagesThe Biden administration has hit out at 17 countries for not doing enough to combat human trafficking and is warning of sanctions. The annual US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report report cites the pandemic as a cause for a surge in human slavery. A human rights group hopes the report has given the government a wake-up call about not doing enough to stop human trafficking. "It means that the government isn't fulfilling their obligations under international law - they're not doing enough to eliminate human trafficking." Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East, was cited for "making significant efforts" toward eliminating human trafficking, the report said.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 02, 2021 20:26 UTC