Abstract
The chapter puts the crime, and concept, of human trafficking in context. Human trafficking is caused by a variety of cultural and economic drivers, including push factors such as gender and social discrimination, poverty and the absence of employment opportunities. Whilst data on the prevalence of human trafficking remains inconsistent, it is clear that the crime poses a serious threat that is most likely under-estimated in the existing statistics. International law, notably the UN Trafficking Protocol, stipulates that the offence should be dealt with as a process comprised of three constituent elements—action, means and purpose. However, increasing variation in the way in which the crime is framed in domestic law, especially the shift in the UK towards the broader offence of modern slavery, has the potential to dilute human trafficking as a stand-alone offence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aronowitz, A. (2017), Human Trafficking. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Association of South-East Asian Nations (2010), ASEAN Handbook on International Legal Cooperation in Trafficking in Persons Cases. Jakarta: ASEAN.
Bales, K. (2002), ‘The Social Psychology of Modern Slavery’, Scientific American, April. Available at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-social-psychology-of/.
Bosco F., Di Cortemiglia, V., and Serojitdinov, A. (2009), ‘Human Trafficking Patterns’ in Friesendorf, C. (ed.), Strategies Against Human Trafficking: The Role of the Security Sector, Vienna and Geneva: National Defence Academy and Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports.
Broad, R., and Turnbull, N. (2019), ‘From Human Trafficking to Modern Slavery: The Development of Anti-Trafficking Policy in the UK’, European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, Vol. 25.
Buckland, B. (2009). ‘Human Trafficking and Smuggling: Crossover and Overlap’, in Friesendorf, C. (ed.), Strategies Against Human Trafficking: The Role of the Security Sector, Vienna and Geneva: National Defence Academy and Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports.
Chuang, J. (2014), ‘Exploitation Creep and the Unmaking of Human Trafficking Law, American Journal of International Law, Vol. 108, No. 4.
Crown Prosecution Service (2019), ‘Human Trafficking, Smuggling and Slavery’, Legal Guidance International and Organised Crime, September 2019. Available at https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/human-trafficking-smuggling-and-slavery.
Danziger R., Martens J., and Guajardo M., (2009), ‘Human Trafficking & Migration Management’ in Friesendorf, C. (ed.), Strategies Against Human Trafficking: The Role of the Security Sector, Vienna and Geneva: National Defence Academy and Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports.
De Vries, I, Nickerson, C., Farrell, A., Wittmer-Wolfe, D., and Bouché, V. (2019), ‘Anti-immigration sentiment and public opinion on human trafficking’, Crime, Law and Social Change, Vol. 72, No. 1.
Dottridge, M. (2007), Collateral Damage: The Impact of Anti-Trafficking Measures on Human Rights around the World. Bangkok: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women.
Dottridge, M. (2017), ‘Eight reasons why we shouldn’t use the term “modern slavery”’, Open Democracy, October. Available at https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/eight-reasons-why-we-shouldn-t-use-term-modern-slavery/.
Drew, S. (2009), Human Trafficking-Human Rights. London: Legal Action Group.
Dwyer, P., Lewis, H., Scullion, L., and Waite, L. (2011), ‘Forced labour and UK immigration policy: status matters?’ Joseph Rowntree Foundation programme paper, 13th October. Available at https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/forced-labour-and-uk-immigration-policy-status-matters.
Ellis, K. (2018), ‘Contested vulnerability: A case study of girls in secure care’, Children and Youth Services Review, No. 88.
Esser, L., and Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, C. (2016), ‘The Prominent Role of National Judges in Interpreting the International Definition of Human Trafficking’, Anti-Trafficking Review, No. 6.
European Commission (2012), ‘The EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012–2016’, June. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/eu_strategy_towards_the_eradication_of_trafficking_in_human_beings_2012-2016_1.pdf.
European Commission (n.d.), ‘Together Against Human Trafficking’. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/member-states_en.
Eurostat (2015), Trafficking in Human Beings. Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Eurostat (2018), Data Collection on the Trafficking in Human Beings. Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Gallagher, A. (2001), ‘Human Rights and the New UN Protocols on Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling: A Preliminary Analysis’, Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 4.
Gallagher, A. (2014), ‘Submission to the Joint Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill’, March. Available at http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/draft-modern-slavery-bill-committee/draft-modern-slavery-bill/written/7406.pdf.
Gallagher, A (2015), ‘Two Cheers for the Trafficking Protocol’, Anti-Trafficking Review, Issue 4.
Global Slavery Index (2018), ‘Modern Slavery: A Hidden, Everyday Problem’. Available at https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/.
Guardian (2017), ‘Using security as Brexit bargaining chip is reckless and lacks credibility’. Available at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/30/using-security-as-brexit-bargaining-chip-is-reckless-and-lacks-credibility.
Haynes, D. (2007), ‘(Not) Found Chained to a Bed in a Brothel: Conceptual, Legal, and Procedural Failures to Fulfill the Promise of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, Vol. 21, No. 3.
Hopper, E., and Hidalgo, J. (2006), ‘Invisible chains: Psychological coercion of human trafficking victims’, Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, Vol. 1.
Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (2012), The International Legal Frameworks concerning Trafficking in Persons. Vienna: ICAT
Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (2014), Preventing Trafficking in Persons by Addressing Demand. Vienna: ICAT
International Labour Organisation (2009), Forced Labour and Human Trafficking: Casebook of Court Decisions. Geneva: ILO.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Walk Free Foundation (2017), Global estimates of modern slavery: forced labour and forced marriage. Geneva: ILO and Walk Free Foundation.
Mantouvalou, V. (2018), ‘The UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 Three Years On’, Modern Law Review, Vol. 88, No. 6.
Massari, M. (2015), ‘At the Edge of Europe: the phenomenon of Irregular Migration from Libya to Italy’ in Massey, S. and Coluccello, S. (eds), Eurafrican Migration: Legal, Economic and Social responses to Irregular Migration. Basingstoke: Palgrave Pivot.
Mo, C. (2018), ‘Perceived Relative Deprivation and Risk: An Aspiration-Based Model of Human Trafficking Vulnerability’, Political Behavior, Vol. 40, No. 1.
Moyle, L. (2019), ‘Situating Vulnerability and Exploitation in Street-Level Drug Markets: Cuckooing, Commuting, and the “County Lines” Drug Supply Model’, Journal of Drug Issues, Vol. 49, No. 4.
National Crime Agency (2019), ‘National referral mechanism statistics – end of year summary 2018’, 20th March. Available at https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/282-national-referral-mechanism-statistics-end-of-year-summary-2018/EOY18-MSHT%20NRM%20Annual%20Report%202018%20v1.0%20(1).pdf
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (2011), ‘Trafficking in Human Beings: Identification of Potential and Presumed Victims: a community policing approach’, SPMU Publication Series, Vol. 12
Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2017), Hidden in Plain Sight: An inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Available at https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportjnt/024102/toc_pdf/HiddeninPlainSight.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf.
Salt, J., and Stein, J. (1997), ‘Migration as a Business: The Case of Trafficking’, International Migration, Vol. 35, No. 4.
Shelley, L. (2007), ‘The rise and diversification of human smuggling and trafficking into the United States’ in Thachuk, K. (ed.), Transnational threats: Smuggling and trafficking in arms, drugs and human life. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2013), ‘Abuse of a position of vulnerability and other “means” within the definition of trafficking in persons’, Issue Paper, April.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2018), Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Vienna: UNODC.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2012), ‘Guidance Note on ‘abuse of a position of vulnerability’ as a means of trafficking in persons in Article 3 of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime’. Available at https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/2012/UNODC_2012_Guidance_Note_-_Abuse_of_a_Position_of_Vulnerability_E.pdf.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (n.d.), ‘Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal’. Available at https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/en/v3/htms/index.html.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2004a), Legislative Guides for the Implementation of the UNTOC and Trafficking Protocols Thereto. Vienna: UNODC.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2004b), UN Convention Against Transnational Crime and the Trafficking Protocols Thereto. Vienna: UNODC.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2015), ‘The Concept of ‘Exploitation’ in the Trafficking in Persons Trafficking Protocol’, UNODC Issue Paper. Available at https://www.unodc.org/documents/congress/background-information/Human_Trafficking/UNODC_2015_Issue_Paper_Exploitation.pdf.
USAID (2010), Trafficking of Adult Men in the Europe and Eurasia Region, June. Available at http://lastradainternational.org/lsidocs/Trafficking%20of%20Men%20Draft_final.pdf.
Vogel, D., (2015), ‘The Concept of Demand in the Context of Trafficking in Human Beings: Using contributions from economics in search of clarification’ DemandAT Working Paper, No. 3, December. Available at https://www.demandat.eu/sites/default/files/DemandAT_WP3_Vogel_Economics_for_Conceptual_Clarification_FINAL2.pdf.
Weitzer, R. (2014), ‘New Directions in Research on Human Trafficking’, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 653, No. 6.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Massey, S., Rankin, G. (2020). Human Trafficking in Context. In: Exploiting People for Profit. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43413-5_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43413-5_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-43412-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-43413-5
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)