January 2025: Liam Neeson highlights human trafficking in campaign film for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

To amplify awareness of human trafficking, our powerful short campaign film ‘What is Human Trafficking?’, fronted by Liam Neeson, will be screened on Emirates flights worldwide this month to mark National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Legendary actor Liam Neeson’s role in the ‘Taken’ franchise has made him a global symbol for the fight against human trafficking. Offscreen, he is using his platform to advocate for real-world action, delivering a powerful message to raise awareness and inspire global change.

“It’s shocking that almost 50 million people in the world today are trafficked and exploited. Human trafficking isn’t always obvious, so it’s important to know the signs. Together, we can end trafficking and exploitation.”  

Liam Neeson

A Powerful Call to Action

Given the hidden nature of human trafficking, it is almost impossible to understand the full scope of the issue. The scale and severity of this crime underscores the importance of campaigns like ‘What is Human Trafficking?’

Katariina, a survivor from Florida, emphasizes the significance of such campaigns 

If only these awareness films and campaigns had existed when I was being groomed, I would not have gotten trafficked in the first place.

This initiative aims to:

  • Educate and inform viewers about the global prevalence of human trafficking, dispelling common myths and misconceptions.
  • Equip the public with tools to identify indicators of human trafficking in their communities and understand how to safely report suspicious activity
  • Encourage action by motivating individuals to report suspected human trafficking.
Above: ‘What is Human Trafficking?’ screening on Emirates Airline, January 2025 

Emirates Airline

It’s a Penalty continues it’s long-standing partnership with Emirates Airline to screen the campaign film on in-flight systems throughout January.

The collaboration aims to educate millions of travelers, who may unknowingly encounter trafficking victims or perpetrators during transit. Reports and survivor testimonies indicate that traffickers often move people across national and international borders, making airports and airlines critical points of intervention.

To address this, we produce digital messaging for airports and airlines, including in-flight videos that provide travelers with information on identifying and reporting human trafficking.

National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and provides an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of NGOs, survivor advocates, law enforcement, governments, and businesses all around the world to raise awareness about human trafficking.

By working together, we can prevent human trafficking, and create a world free from exploitation.