Abuses of migrant workers in the Gulf States have been documented over the years by numerous inte... more Abuses of migrant workers in the Gulf States have been documented over the years by numerous international organizations and news outlets. The mechanism through which migrant workers are recruited, transported and subjected to exploitation has been closely linked to the kafala system widely practiced in the region. This essay examines the kafala system and its role in the exploitation of migrant workers who are routinely subjected to false promises, isolation, coercion and exploitation, and argues that these abuses are tantamount to human trafficking.
https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/26/07/2022/trafficking-gulf-states
Report to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - project involving combating human traffi... more Report to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - project involving combating human trafficking in the West African countries of Benin, Togo and Nigeria. https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/ht_research_report_nigeria.pdf
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2020
Human trafficking involves exploitation in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, f... more Human trafficking involves exploitation in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic service, and for the purpose of organ removal. The dominant narrative in human trafficking discourse on victims is that of “a young woman and naïve innocent lured or deceived into a life of lurid horror from which escape is nearly impossible,” according to Jo Doezema. This conflicts with the reality of victims who may have exercised agency and been voluntarily involved in the initial stages of the process or those agreeing to work in prostitution. Identifying victims of human trafficking is complex when their very existence in a country as undocumented migrants or their forced participation in activities deemed illegal (prostitution, participation in armed conflict or child soldiering, or criminal offenses) results in their being criminalized rather than protected. The existence of prior victims becoming traffickers, particularly in the sexual exploitation of other ...
The article reviews the book "Human Trafficking, Human Misery: The Global Trade in Human Bei... more The article reviews the book "Human Trafficking, Human Misery: The Global Trade in Human Beings," 1st ed., by Alexis A. Aronowitz.
Organ trafficking is perhaps the most obscure form of human trafficking. It is an international p... more Organ trafficking is perhaps the most obscure form of human trafficking. It is an international problem with transnational dimensions and involves the intersection between the world of organized crime, impoverished organ donors, sick recipients and unscrupulous medical staff. This article starts out by exploring the global patterns of organ trafficking, highlighting the physical and psychological harm caused to victims. The statistics on organ transplants and patterns of organ trafficking as well as the social, economic and legal dimensions of this type of crime are examined. The article subsequently continues with a discussion of the domestic, regional and international legal and semi-legal instruments established to battle organ trafficking and reflects upon whether or not these instruments are effective in curtailing this growing problem. The article ends with a discussion of alternative approaches to deal with the problem of organ trafficking and makes a case for more problem-dr...
Questions addressed in this project included:What are the existing control mechanisms and how do ... more Questions addressed in this project included:What are the existing control mechanisms and how do they operate? What public bodies are responsible for the fight against Value Added Tax (VAT) fraud and what are their competencies? What are the possibilities to exchange information between member states on VAT irregularities and how are these put into action?What techniques of VAT fraud are being used? Which legitimate branches of industry are being affected by this fraud in the sense of a) damage inflicted and b) complicity of the 'legitimate' entrepreneurs? What are the structures of the organizations or networks and what are the profiles of the crime-entrepreneurs involved? See Link to the Addendum at: More information.
Copyright: “All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied f... more Copyright: “All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educational and other non-commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement of the OSCE/Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings as the source”. This publication was made possible by the generous support of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a pan-European security body whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Recognized as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area. Its approach to security is unique in being both comprehensive and co-operative: comprehensive in that it deals with three dimensions of security- the human, the politico-military and the economic/environmental. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including human rights, arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. It is co-operative in that all the States
This research project, to a certain degree, aims at filling the knowledge gap concerning organize... more This research project, to a certain degree, aims at filling the knowledge gap concerning organized business crime by highlighting one specific phenomenon, that of cross-border Vallue-Added Tax (VAT) fraud within the European Union. Insight is to be provided into: a) the effectiveness of the present VAT control system; b) the vulnerability of legitimate trade to criminal inroads; c) the development of organized crime in this area.
This addendum to the report 'Value-added tax fraud in the European Union' gives additiona... more This addendum to the report 'Value-added tax fraud in the European Union' gives additional information on the detection and settlement of VAT fraud in Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. See link to the report at: More information.
This article will define the concepts of smuggling and trafficking in human beings and discuss th... more This article will define the concepts of smuggling and trafficking in human beings and discuss the difficulty in applying the definition. The magnitude and scope of the problem will be examined as well as its causes. Trafficking in human beings will be analysed as an illegal market, particularly with reference to its relationship with other illegal markets and the involvement of organised crime groups. The phenomenon will be discussed in more depth focusing on countries and regions where projects are currently being implemented under the auspices of the United Nations Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings. The discussion closes with an overview of situations which facilitate the practice, and current measures and recommendations to stem the tide of smuggling and trafficking.
Human trafficking has come to be known as the slavery of the 21st Century. Due to its clandestine... more Human trafficking has come to be known as the slavery of the 21st Century. Due to its clandestine nature, the magnitude of the problem is unknown. Various sources estimate the number of persons trafficked in the millions.[1] In the same year that the International Labour Organization estimated the exploitation in forced labor of approximately 21 million people, only 46,570 victims of trafficking (of which, 17,368 victims of labor trafficking) were identified worldwide (US Department of State, 2014).[2] The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported 40,177 victims of trafficking identified by Government authorities or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) between the years 2010 and 2012 (UNODC, 2014).
This article introduces the reader to the definitions of smuggling, trafficking and organized cri... more This article introduces the reader to the definitions of smuggling, trafficking and organized crime as defined in the U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its two protocols on trafficking and smuggling, as well as to the concepts of trafficked victims and source and destination countries. Trafficking is then examined as a process. The reader is introduced to the survey instruments and methodology used in projects participating in the U.N. Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings (GPATHB). The article provides general impressions of the smuggling and trafficking patterns in the countries participating in three of the U.N. projects. Attention is then focussed on some of the problems thus far encountered or anticipated in conducting research on trafficking in human beings. General conclusions and recommendations based upon the preliminary results of research and assessment missions to a number of countries involved in projects in the GPATHB are provided.
Abuses of migrant workers in the Gulf States have been documented over the years by numerous inte... more Abuses of migrant workers in the Gulf States have been documented over the years by numerous international organizations and news outlets. The mechanism through which migrant workers are recruited, transported and subjected to exploitation has been closely linked to the kafala system widely practiced in the region. This essay examines the kafala system and its role in the exploitation of migrant workers who are routinely subjected to false promises, isolation, coercion and exploitation, and argues that these abuses are tantamount to human trafficking.
https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/26/07/2022/trafficking-gulf-states
Report to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - project involving combating human traffi... more Report to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - project involving combating human trafficking in the West African countries of Benin, Togo and Nigeria. https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/ht_research_report_nigeria.pdf
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2020
Human trafficking involves exploitation in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, f... more Human trafficking involves exploitation in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic service, and for the purpose of organ removal. The dominant narrative in human trafficking discourse on victims is that of “a young woman and naïve innocent lured or deceived into a life of lurid horror from which escape is nearly impossible,” according to Jo Doezema. This conflicts with the reality of victims who may have exercised agency and been voluntarily involved in the initial stages of the process or those agreeing to work in prostitution. Identifying victims of human trafficking is complex when their very existence in a country as undocumented migrants or their forced participation in activities deemed illegal (prostitution, participation in armed conflict or child soldiering, or criminal offenses) results in their being criminalized rather than protected. The existence of prior victims becoming traffickers, particularly in the sexual exploitation of other ...
The article reviews the book "Human Trafficking, Human Misery: The Global Trade in Human Bei... more The article reviews the book "Human Trafficking, Human Misery: The Global Trade in Human Beings," 1st ed., by Alexis A. Aronowitz.
Organ trafficking is perhaps the most obscure form of human trafficking. It is an international p... more Organ trafficking is perhaps the most obscure form of human trafficking. It is an international problem with transnational dimensions and involves the intersection between the world of organized crime, impoverished organ donors, sick recipients and unscrupulous medical staff. This article starts out by exploring the global patterns of organ trafficking, highlighting the physical and psychological harm caused to victims. The statistics on organ transplants and patterns of organ trafficking as well as the social, economic and legal dimensions of this type of crime are examined. The article subsequently continues with a discussion of the domestic, regional and international legal and semi-legal instruments established to battle organ trafficking and reflects upon whether or not these instruments are effective in curtailing this growing problem. The article ends with a discussion of alternative approaches to deal with the problem of organ trafficking and makes a case for more problem-dr...
Questions addressed in this project included:What are the existing control mechanisms and how do ... more Questions addressed in this project included:What are the existing control mechanisms and how do they operate? What public bodies are responsible for the fight against Value Added Tax (VAT) fraud and what are their competencies? What are the possibilities to exchange information between member states on VAT irregularities and how are these put into action?What techniques of VAT fraud are being used? Which legitimate branches of industry are being affected by this fraud in the sense of a) damage inflicted and b) complicity of the 'legitimate' entrepreneurs? What are the structures of the organizations or networks and what are the profiles of the crime-entrepreneurs involved? See Link to the Addendum at: More information.
Copyright: “All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied f... more Copyright: “All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educational and other non-commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement of the OSCE/Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings as the source”. This publication was made possible by the generous support of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a pan-European security body whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Recognized as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area. Its approach to security is unique in being both comprehensive and co-operative: comprehensive in that it deals with three dimensions of security- the human, the politico-military and the economic/environmental. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including human rights, arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. It is co-operative in that all the States
This research project, to a certain degree, aims at filling the knowledge gap concerning organize... more This research project, to a certain degree, aims at filling the knowledge gap concerning organized business crime by highlighting one specific phenomenon, that of cross-border Vallue-Added Tax (VAT) fraud within the European Union. Insight is to be provided into: a) the effectiveness of the present VAT control system; b) the vulnerability of legitimate trade to criminal inroads; c) the development of organized crime in this area.
This addendum to the report 'Value-added tax fraud in the European Union' gives additiona... more This addendum to the report 'Value-added tax fraud in the European Union' gives additional information on the detection and settlement of VAT fraud in Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. See link to the report at: More information.
This article will define the concepts of smuggling and trafficking in human beings and discuss th... more This article will define the concepts of smuggling and trafficking in human beings and discuss the difficulty in applying the definition. The magnitude and scope of the problem will be examined as well as its causes. Trafficking in human beings will be analysed as an illegal market, particularly with reference to its relationship with other illegal markets and the involvement of organised crime groups. The phenomenon will be discussed in more depth focusing on countries and regions where projects are currently being implemented under the auspices of the United Nations Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings. The discussion closes with an overview of situations which facilitate the practice, and current measures and recommendations to stem the tide of smuggling and trafficking.
Human trafficking has come to be known as the slavery of the 21st Century. Due to its clandestine... more Human trafficking has come to be known as the slavery of the 21st Century. Due to its clandestine nature, the magnitude of the problem is unknown. Various sources estimate the number of persons trafficked in the millions.[1] In the same year that the International Labour Organization estimated the exploitation in forced labor of approximately 21 million people, only 46,570 victims of trafficking (of which, 17,368 victims of labor trafficking) were identified worldwide (US Department of State, 2014).[2] The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported 40,177 victims of trafficking identified by Government authorities or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) between the years 2010 and 2012 (UNODC, 2014).
This article introduces the reader to the definitions of smuggling, trafficking and organized cri... more This article introduces the reader to the definitions of smuggling, trafficking and organized crime as defined in the U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its two protocols on trafficking and smuggling, as well as to the concepts of trafficked victims and source and destination countries. Trafficking is then examined as a process. The reader is introduced to the survey instruments and methodology used in projects participating in the U.N. Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings (GPATHB). The article provides general impressions of the smuggling and trafficking patterns in the countries participating in three of the U.N. projects. Attention is then focussed on some of the problems thus far encountered or anticipated in conducting research on trafficking in human beings. General conclusions and recommendations based upon the preliminary results of research and assessment missions to a number of countries involved in projects in the GPATHB are provided.
Organ trafficking is perhaps the most obscure form of human trafficking. It is an international p... more Organ trafficking is perhaps the most obscure form of human trafficking. It is an international problem with transnational dimensions and involves the intersection between the world of organized crime, impoverished organ donors, sick recipients and unscrupulous medical staff. This article starts out by exploring the global patterns of organ trafficking, highlighting the physical and psychological harm caused to victims. The statistics on organ transplants and patterns of organ trafficking as well as the social, economic and legal dimensions of this type of crime are examined. The article subsequently continues with a discussion of the domestic, regional and international legal and semi-legal instruments established to battle organ trafficking and reflects upon whether or not these instruments are effective in curtailing this growing problem. The article ends with a discussion of alternative approaches to deal with the problem of organ trafficking and makes a case for more problem-driven solutions, such as increased extra-legal measures, international cooperation and a focus upon the causes and victims of organ trafficking rather than focusing upon criminal law alone.
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