Identification of victims of human trafficking – searching for the essence of the phenomenon

• In Event: Criminology of Mobility. Panel 2. Human trafficking trends and identification of victims

Abstract

Estimates of Global Slavery Index indicate nearly 50 million victims of modern slavery annually, while the US TIP Report 2023, 27 million victims of human trafficking. However, official statistics regarding the number of identified victims suggest a vastly different scale of the phenomenon. For instance, according to US government, there are 115,000 victims identified worldwide each year, which is less than 0.5% of the estimated number. Assuming that these estimates are collected accurately and are reliable, and that the actual data is collected diligently, a significant disparity between the estimated and real numbers must be noted. This raises a crucial question: why are there so few identified victims globally? In other words: why does the world seem to be stuck in some strange incapacity, resulting in such ineffective identification of victims of THB?
Answers can be sought on the side of the victims: then we can argue, for instance, that such low numbers are "attributed" to the victims themselves because they do not want to be identified. We can also look at the law enforcement agencies, asking whether they are equipped with good legal instruments and properly trained to identify more victims. But we can also pose a completely different question: do we understand the phenomenon of identifying victims of THB as such? Have we explore the nature of this process and the limitations it may face? Perhaps it is only seemingly that we understand the nature of THB, and as a result, the adopted legal, organizational, and technical solutions are simply far from sufficient.
Further questions are legitimate: is the identification of victims of THB a priority for national authorities? What conditions must be met for identification to be effective? What indicators and tools should be used to improve the identification process? All these important questions require further scientific exploration.

Author

• Lukasz Wieczorek, University of Warsaw