Selective mobilization of victim protection scheme in cases of human smuggling with aggravated circumstances

• In Event: Ethical challenges in qualitative research: feminist, decolonial and bottom-up paths toward change

Abstract

This presentation outlines the findings of the qualitative research TRAQ, which inquires into the application of 'victim protection scheme' in cases of human smuggling with aggravated circumstances. Drawing on extensive research of court case files, it scrutinizes exchanges between persons identified as victims and first-responders. Great diversity of cases comes to the fore and the findings highlight the rationales of the use of the 'special protection scheme', as well as the related notions of victimhood and organized crime.

Authors

• Olga Petintseva, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology - Vrije Universiteit Brussel

• Carrol Tange, National Institute for Criminology and Criminalistics (Belgium)