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Societies
Special Issues
Human Trafficking and Human Rights
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Human Trafficking and Human Rights

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2023) | Viewed by 13665

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ben Brewster

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: technology-mediated exploitation; human trafficking; modern slavery; perpatrators
Prof. Dr. Todd Landman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: human rights; modern slavery measurement; anti-slavery governance
Dr. Lauren Eglen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: feminist activism against modern slavery; violence against women and girls (VAWG); gender inequality
Dr. Ergul Celiksoy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: modern slavery; criminal justice; criminal law; comparative law

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human trafficking infringes on the fundamental economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights of those affected by it. Individuals who are forced into labour, exploited commercially for sex, made to commit crimes against their will, and compelled into a range of exploitative situations are also denied the right to freedom from torture, freedom of movement, the right to privacy, and the right to seek asylum and freedom from persecution.

The international community has long recognised human trafficking as a human rights issue, yet the complex and multi-faceted nature of exploitation and the multi-level regime of governance to address it means that there remains significant scope for fresh analyses on the intersections between human trafficking and human rights.

The future of human trafficking and human rights will be impacted by new and continuing conflict, climate change, technological advancements, political shifts, refugee crises, and increased global economic inequalities, particularly in the post-COVID-19 period.

For this Special Issue, we welcome submissions that assess and address the future of human trafficking and human rights. This includes analyses of the impact of the evolving nature of human trafficking through a human rights lens; research findings and evidence-supported practices pertaining to specific manifestations of human trafficking and different human rights-based approaches are of particular interest. Potential subtopics for submissions to this Special Issue on human trafficking and human rights include but are not limited to:

  • Analyses of contemporary trafficking manifestations as human rights abuses.
  • Efforts to address trafficking using human rights-based approaches.
  • Meeting the rights of persons who have been trafficked.
  • The future of anti-trafficking as part of the international human rights system.
  • Horizon scanning of developments related to the future of human trafficking and human rights.

This Special Issue aims to publish articles that will be of interest to researchers; activists, leaders, and funders; policymakers; and anti-trafficking professionals across relevant sectors and disciplines (including law, political science, sociology, economics, and others). Contributions must address the topic of the Special Issue and fit in one of the three genres of papers published in this journal, i.e., research articles, literature reviews, or conceptual papers.

Dr. Ben Brewster
Prof. Dr. Todd Landman
Dr. Lauren Eglen
Dr. Ergul Celiksoy
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human trafficking
  • human rights

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 1009 KiB  
Article
Motherhood, Human Trafficking, and Asylum Seeking: The Experiences and Needs of Survivor Mothers in Birthing and Postnatal Care
by Lois Bosatta, Mariana Crespi de Valldaura, Kevin Bales, Helen Spiby and Laoise Ni Bhriain
Societies 2024, 14(5), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14050069 - 16 May 2024
Viewed by 1326
Abstract
This article aims to illuminate the little-studied phenomenon of asylum-seeking child-bearing women in the UK, survivors of violence and human trafficking. This is a significant issue in terms of the proportion of women affected and the paucity of care and support currently available [...] Read more.
This article aims to illuminate the little-studied phenomenon of asylum-seeking child-bearing women in the UK, survivors of violence and human trafficking. This is a significant issue in terms of the proportion of women affected and the paucity of care and support currently available to them as mother survivors. This study looked to examine the frontline support services of one project to survivor mothers through two collaborating organisations, Happy Baby Community and Hestia, and how their services support mothers’ experiences of perinatal mental health, infant feeding, and the general experiences of migrant women and trafficking survivors in maternity care in the UK. Using evidence collected from semi-structured service-users’ interviews and focus groups, and an anonymous online staff survey, this article shows the types of care and support that are required to address not only the challenges faced by any new mother, but also the additional challenges experienced with trafficking and seeking asylum such as mental health, housing, and legal and access to other support. This article illustrates the many complex and inter-related challenges these women face, and the way the project meets practical, informational, emotional, appraisal, and social needs. It concludes by identifying several implications of the support provided and/or needed, which could be considered by other services or policymakers looking to meet the fundamental needs and rights of this cohort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Trafficking and Human Rights)
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28 pages, 9430 KiB  
Article
Beyond the Walls: Patterns of Child Labour, Forced Labour, and Exploitation in a New Domestic Workers Dataset
by Zoe Trodd, Catherine Waite, James Goulding and Doreen S. Boyd
Societies 2024, 14(5), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14050062 - 3 May 2024
Viewed by 2149
Abstract
The new Domestic Workers Dataset is the largest single set of surveys (n = 11,759) of domestic workers to date. Our analysis of this dataset reveals features about the lives and work of this “hard-to-find” population in India—a country estimated to have [...] Read more.
The new Domestic Workers Dataset is the largest single set of surveys (n = 11,759) of domestic workers to date. Our analysis of this dataset reveals features about the lives and work of this “hard-to-find” population in India—a country estimated to have the largest number of people living in forms of contemporary slavery (11 million). The data allow us to identify child labour, indicators of forced labour, and patterns of exploitation—including labour paid below the minimum wage—using bivariate analysis, factor analysis, and spatial analysis. The dataset also helps to advance our understanding of how to measure labour exploitation and modern slavery by showing the value of “found data” and participatory and citizen science approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Trafficking and Human Rights)
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17 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
Rethinking Dignity and Exploitation in Human Trafficking and Sex Workers’ Rights Cases
by William Paul Simmons
Societies 2024, 14(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14020016 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3288
Abstract
As forced migration increases dramatically due to such factors as climate change, rising conflict, and authoritarianism, more legal cases on human trafficking and sex work are sure to arise. To date, very few cases on these issues have been decided in international human [...] Read more.
As forced migration increases dramatically due to such factors as climate change, rising conflict, and authoritarianism, more legal cases on human trafficking and sex work are sure to arise. To date, very few cases on these issues have been decided in international human rights tribunals, and they have been subject to extensive criticism, especially for their conflation of slavery, human trafficking, forced prostitution, and consensual sex work. This article analyzes recent jurisprudence from Europe and Africa to address this conceptual confusion and argue that tribunals must interrogate their use of the terms dignity and exploitation or risk further marginalizing already marginalized people. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Trafficking and Human Rights)

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18 pages, 1267 KiB  
Concept Paper
Taking Back Control: Human Rights and Human Trafficking in the United Kingdom
by Todd Landman, Ben Brewster and Sara Thornton
Societies 2024, 14(4), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14040047 - 3 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3187
Abstract
Modern slavery and human trafficking are well recognized as significant problems in need of legislation, policies, and actions from a wide range of stakeholders in the United Kingdom. The passage of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 is a hallmark of these concerns [...] Read more.
Modern slavery and human trafficking are well recognized as significant problems in need of legislation, policies, and actions from a wide range of stakeholders in the United Kingdom. The passage of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 is a hallmark of these concerns and has made the UK a world leader in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking, a legislative development that is in line with the country’s broader formal commitment to the international and European human rights regime. In the post-Brexit period, however, there has been an increasing de jure conflation of modern slavery and human trafficking with efforts to curb immigration, leading to a significant questioning of the UK’s commitment to human rights. This article locates the consideration of human rights and human trafficking within these broader political trends in order to understand the prospects for meaningful measures to combat modern slavery and human trafficking in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Trafficking and Human Rights)
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11 pages, 198 KiB  
Concept Paper
The Human Rights of Sex Trafficking Survivors: Trends and Challenges in American Vacatur Laws
by Patricia C. Rodda and Heather Smith-Cannoy
Societies 2024, 14(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14020029 - 19 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2602
Abstract
For years, survivors of sex trafficking, people compelled by force or circumstance to engage in sex acts, were often wrongly convicted of prostitution and many collateral crimes in the United States. These convictions became a permanent part of survivors’ criminal records, inhibiting their [...] Read more.
For years, survivors of sex trafficking, people compelled by force or circumstance to engage in sex acts, were often wrongly convicted of prostitution and many collateral crimes in the United States. These convictions became a permanent part of survivors’ criminal records, inhibiting their ability to satisfy necessities for a dignified life—finding work and a place to live, or going to school. Since 2010, forty-five state legislatures across the US have sought to solve this problem by passing vacatur laws. These laws allow the survivors of sex trafficking a means to erase certain charges and convictions from their records. The American movement to support the human rights of sex trafficking victims is part of a larger, global non-criminalization movement to support survivors’ human rights. This article surveys the recent and robust diffusion of American vacatur laws, situates them amidst the larger, global non-criminalization movement, and highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of the current US vacatur laws with an eye toward closing the rights gap for sex trafficking survivors. We argue that extant vacatur legislation should be expanded to include all crimes traffickers compel victims to commit, should incorporate trauma-informed means for establishing victimhood, and should be passed at the federal level to ensure complete and uniform protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Trafficking and Human Rights)
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