The 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” highlights a rapidly growing form of human trafficking in which transnational organised crime groups exploit victims to run large-scale financial fraud schemes. Victims are trafficked for forced criminality and coerced into online scam operations. This exploitation is closely linked to cybercrime, financial fraud, money laundering and corruption, reflecting the increasingly interconnected nature of organised crime.
As with previous years, HRD carried out various activities as part of the Blue Heart Campaign, to raise awareness and commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Social Media Campaign
A boosted social media campaign was carried out to inform the public about human trafficking, commemorate and spread awareness on the Blue Heart Campaign, as well as encourage reporting.
Newspaper Articles
Articles were published on The Times of Malta, Malta Today and Illum to raise awareness on human trafficking and the Blue Heart Campaign, and commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. A banner on the Blue Heart Campaign was advertised on the respective websites in the last week of July to further increase outreach and awareness.
Bus Shelters and Billboards
During the month of July, an awareness campaign on digital billboards and bus shelters was carried out in the following locations:
Illumination of Iconic Buildings in Blue
As in previous years many entities collaborated to light the facades of their buildings/other landmarks in blue to commemorate the Blue Heart Campaign and raise awareness on human trafficking. These included:
FSWS Blue Heart Campaign Conference
HRD participated in the FSWS Blue Heart Campaign entitled ‘Trapped Behind the Scam’. The conference took place on 30th July and was attended by various stakeholders involved in the fight against human trafficking including civil society. HRD participated in a panel that focused on how individuals in the Maltese context are deceived, manipulated, and lured through false promises into situations of human trafficking. The discussion focused on the factors that increase vulnerability, the methods used by traffickers, and the challenges involved in identifying, preventing, and responding to human trafficking. Blue heart pins and awareness raising stickers were also distributed by HRD during the conference.
