US Lists More Nations as Worst for Modern-Day Slavery (2/2)

The reports are based on information from American diplomats, nongovernmental organizations and other groups. The United States estimates that about 800000 people are forced across international borders each year. It says up to 17000 are believed to enter this country. The great majority of victims are female and as many as half are children and teenagers.

32 nations are on a "watch list" in this year's report. The list is supposed to be a warning. Armenia and South Africa are on it for the third year in a row. India, Mexico and Russia are listed for the fourth year.

In fact, State Department official Mark Lagon said: "The world's largest democracy has the world's largest problem of human trafficking." He said India has hundreds of thousands of sex trafficking victims and millions of bonded laborers. These include forced child laborers.

The report came out last Tuesday, which was World Day Against Child Labor. Estimates are that more than two hundred million children worldwide are forced to work, mostly on farms. The United Nations is calling for an end to the worst forms of child labor by 2016.