EU faces tough battles on the scourge of human trafficking

UP to half a million women and children are trafficked into the EU each year, mainly to work in the sex industry.

Much of it is slavery to earn money for criminals. The industry in human trafficking is now so lucrative that Europol estimates organised crime finds it more profitable than even drugs.

While huge sums of money and big chunks of state time and resources are put into fighting the drugs business, very little so far has been dedicated to fighting the modern slave trade that devastates people's lives.