Children, refugees victimized by AI-fueled human trafficking, says Vatican diplomat

With human trafficking on the rise globally, the Vatican’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations is highlighting concerns for child victims and refugees — while warning of technological tools used by traffickers to expand their criminal activities.

Msgr. Marco Formica, counselor at the Holy See’s permanent observer mission to the U.N., spoke at a Nov. 25 high-level meeting on appraising the U.N.’s Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

Adopted in July 2010, the plan promotes international cooperation in tackling modern slavery, and advocates for the universal ratification of legal instruments to address the problem, such as the U.N.’s Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, issued in 2000.

The day prior to Msgr. Formica’s address, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a broad political declaration on the implementation of the global plan of action against human trafficking.

Yet “despite the progress made,” said Msgr. Formica, the number of trafficking victims worldwide “is growing.”

The U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, estimates that as many as 50 million people worldwide “may be subject to various forms” of trafficking, especially sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Ilias Chatzis, acting head of UNODC’s organized crime branch, said at the Nov. 24 assembly vote that trafficking networks are “more violent” and “more difficult to dismantle.”

The majority of victims are women and girls, who are “overwhelmingly trafficked for sexual exploitation,” he said, noting as well that children represent “38% of detected cases” of trafficking.

At the same time, the crime is both underreported and underprosecuted.

Trafficking survivor Shamere McKenzie — now CEO of the nonprofit Sun Gate Foundation, which supports survivors in their recovery from exploitation — said at the Nov. 24 assembly that “human trafficking is succeeding because governments are moving too slowly.”

Reflecting on her own experience of being trafficked, McKenzie said, “My voice had been stolen. … My worth had been reduced to dollars and violence.”

The UNODC notes on its website that “the true extent of the crime is difficult to ascertain,” and that human trafficking is “one of the fastest-growing crimes,” garnering an estimated $150 billion in overall profits each year. Victims are typically trafficked from lower- to higher-income countries, said the agency.

In his Nov. 25 statement to the U.N., Msgr. Formica said that children are “increasingly affected, particularly those who are unaccompanied or separated from their families.”

He said that “while most girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation, boys are more often subjected to forced labor, criminal activity, and begging.

“Both forms of exploitation undermine the God-given dignity of the victim,” said Msgr. Formica.

He stressed that “trafficking networks continue to exploit the vulnerabilities arising, among others, from poverty, underdevelopment and humanitarian emergencies.”

Msgr. Formica also commended the assembly’s “recognition of the greater risks faced by refugees and migrants,” adding that “when dealing with human trafficking, it is important to remember that the weakest are those who suffer the most.”

Quoting Pope Leo XIV’s Oct. 23 address to the World Meeting of Popular Movements, Msgr. Formica called for “a collective and united effort aimed at reversing the dehumanizing trend of social injustices and promoting integral human development.”

Msgr. Formica warned that “the increasing misuse of rapidly evolving technologies also facilitates the recruitment, control and abuse of victims.”

“Criminals are increasingly weaponizing AI to enhance their operations,” with the technology representing a “dangerous advancement” that enables traffickers to operate “at an unprecedented scale,” said the U.S. Department of State in its 2025 Trafficking in Persons report.

Traffickers use AI translation tools to lure vulnerable persons, creating “culturally nuanced messages that resonate with victims in their native language,” and offering “unprecedented ability to target potential victims” by analyzing their social media data and developing “tailored exploitation strategies,” said the report.

Chatbots, along with generative AI images and audio, also permit traffickers to recruit and ensnare victims, the report said.

But AI “can also be a powerful prevention and intervention tool,” said the State Department in its report.

Echoing multiple calls from Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis, Msgr. Formica said it is “crucial to reverse this trend and ensure that technology, including artificial intelligence, is used to serve human dignity, justice and the common good.”

Msgr. Formica commended the assembly’s political declaration on implementing the U.N. global plan of anti-trafficking action, which he said “rightly calls for the intensification of international and regional cooperation” to prevent trafficking, reunite families and “enhance criminal justice responses.”

However, he clarified the Holy See’s position on passages that contained “problematic language” — specifically, regarding the terms “gender,” “exploitation of surrogacy” and “sexual and reproductive health-care services.”

Msgr. Formica stressed the Catholic Church holds that humans are created male or female, and that the practice of surrogacy is “deplorable in any case, as it constitutes a grave violation of the dignity of both the woman and the child.”

He added that “the Holy See interprets the term ‘sexual and reproductive health-care services’ as referring to a holistic concept of health” that excludes access to abortion and abortifacients.

Concluding his address, Msgr. Formica again quoted Pope Leo XIV, citing a statement from the pope’s May 30 address to peace movements: “Amid wars, terrorism, human trafficking and widespread aggression, our children and young people need to be able to experience the culture of life, dialogue, and mutual respect.”

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