88 Victims Of Human Trafficking Registered By Malta Police Between 2019 & 2025

New figures show that 88 victims of human trafficking were registered by the Malta Police Force and the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) between 2019 and 2025, averaging 12.6 victims each year.

The lowest number of victims was recorded in 2021, when four cases were registered, while the highest annual total was recorded in both 2022 and 2025, with 22 victims each.

In per capita terms, 2021 recorded 0.8 victims per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 4.1 per 100,000 in 2022.

During the same period, 26 people were prosecuted on suspicion of human trafficking, with prosecutions taking place in every year except 2019, 2021 and 2023.

A total of 15 people were convicted, averaging two convictions annually. The highest number of convictions was recorded in both 2023 and 2025, with four convictions in each year.

A three year moving average showed an upward trend in both registered victims and prosecuted suspects.

The average number of victims increased from 8.3 in 2021 to 13.7 in 2025, while the average number of prosecuted suspects rose from 0.7 to 6. Convictions remained relatively stable, increasing from an average of two to three over the same period.

Women accounted for 86.4% of all registered victims, while most prosecuted suspects and convicted persons were men.

Almost all victims, 95.5%, were adults, with minors accounting for the remaining 4.5%.

Most victims were non-EU nationals, although some cases involved citizens of other EU Member States. Maltese citizens were registered as victims only in 2020 and 2025.

Sexual exploitation became the most common form of trafficking over the period, accounting for 72.7% of victims in 2025, while forced labour was the dominant form in 2019.

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