4. Egypt
Slaves in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Photo credit: Voice of the Persecuted
According to the U.S. State Department, Egypt is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation.
The department further reveals that about 1 million street children in the North African country – both boys and girls – are exploited with prostitution and forced begging.
In 2014, the world was shocked by tales of widespread slavery and torture in Sinai Peninsula, where tens of thousands of slaves from neighboring African countries were reportedly held for trafficking.
These slaves are alleged to have been chained up and kept in water tankers for up to six months. Among them were women held as sex slaves.
The Sinai Peninsula is now said to be a haven for Al-Qaeda operatives and Bedouin smugglers and extortionists who have a free hand in the modern-day slave trade. It is estimated that there are more than 50 human trafficking gangs currently operating in the Sinai region.
