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Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East, ‎pdf 4.1 MB

Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East, ‎pdf 4.1 MB

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1.2. GLOBAL DEBATES ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING<br />

The adoption of <strong>the</strong> Palermo Protocol galvanized people <strong>in</strong>to action, <strong>and</strong><br />

sparked many debates at <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational level. 11 One debate, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

government authorities, <strong>in</strong>ternational agencies, donor representatives,<br />

human rights activists <strong>and</strong> legal practitioners, centres on <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpretation of<br />

<strong>the</strong> def<strong>in</strong>ition of human traffick<strong>in</strong>g. Two issues have been at <strong>the</strong> core of <strong>the</strong><br />

controversy: first, whe<strong>the</strong>r movement of <strong>the</strong> victim ei<strong>the</strong>r with<strong>in</strong> or across<br />

national borders is a necessary condition for traffick<strong>in</strong>g; <strong>and</strong> second, whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>volvement of an <strong>in</strong>termediary or o<strong>the</strong>r third party is required. 12 While<br />

nei<strong>the</strong>r of <strong>the</strong>se criteria has to be present <strong>in</strong> order to prosecute a case of human<br />

traffick<strong>in</strong>g, national policy-makers may none<strong>the</strong>less decide to dist<strong>in</strong>guish<br />

between “trafficked” <strong>and</strong> “non-trafficked” (or o<strong>the</strong>r forms of) forced labour.<br />

This may help <strong>the</strong>m to devise differentiated policy responses that are best<br />

adapted to <strong>the</strong> national context <strong>and</strong> specific target groups. 13<br />

The discussions on traffick<strong>in</strong>g have also drawn attention to questions about<br />

whe<strong>the</strong>r to recognize prostitution as legitimate labour or as a violation of<br />

women’s human rights. 14 The issue of consent has been a source of contention,<br />

with some argu<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong>re can be no consent for sex work <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />

uphold<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong> matter of consent is critical <strong>in</strong> respect<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> agency<br />

of women to make choices <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> avoid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> blurr<strong>in</strong>g of l<strong>in</strong>es between<br />

(voluntary) sex work <strong>and</strong> forced sexual exploitation. 15 These debates over<br />

11<br />

For fur<strong>the</strong>r read<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> subject, see J. Sanghera: “Unpack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g<br />

discourse”, <strong>in</strong> K. Kempadoo, J. Sanghera <strong>and</strong> B. Pattanaik (eds): <strong>Traffick<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

prostitution reconsidered: New perspectives on migration, sex work <strong>and</strong> human rights<br />

(London, Paradigm, 2012), pp. 3–24; A. Murray: “Debt-bondage <strong>and</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g: Don’t<br />

believe <strong>the</strong> hype”, <strong>in</strong> K. Kempadoo <strong>and</strong> J. Doezema (eds): Global sex workers: Rights,<br />

resistance <strong>and</strong> redef<strong>in</strong>ition (New York, Taylor & Francis, 1998) pp. 51–64. The Lebanese<br />

Emigration Research Center at Notre Dame University-Louaizé <strong>in</strong> Lebanon facilitated<br />

access to <strong>and</strong> use of <strong>the</strong>se articles.<br />

12<br />

For fur<strong>the</strong>r read<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> subject, see J. Hathaway: “The human rights quagmire<br />

of human traffick<strong>in</strong>g”, <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Journal of International Law (2008, Vol. 49, No.<br />

1), p. 5.; J. Chuang: “Beyond a snapshot: Prevent<strong>in</strong>g human traffick<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> global<br />

economy”, <strong>in</strong> Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies (2006, Vol. 13, No. 1, W<strong>in</strong>ter),<br />

p. 152; A.T. Gallagher: “<strong>Human</strong> rights <strong>and</strong> human traffick<strong>in</strong>g: Quagmire or firm<br />

ground? A response to James Hathaway”, <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Journal of International Law<br />

(2009, Vol. 49, No. 4), p. 812.<br />

13<br />

ILO: Hard to see, harder to count: Survey guidel<strong>in</strong>es to estimate forced labour of adults<br />

<strong>and</strong> children (Geneva, June 2012), p. 19.<br />

14<br />

J. Doezema, “Who gets to choose? Coercion, consent, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> UN <strong>Traffick<strong>in</strong>g</strong><br />

Protocol”, <strong>in</strong> Gender <strong>and</strong> Development (2002, Vol. 10, No. 1, March), p. 25.<br />

15<br />

Ann D. Jordan expla<strong>in</strong>ed: “The majority of delegates who negotiated <strong>the</strong> Palermo<br />

Protocol <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Human</strong> Rights Caucus rejected <strong>the</strong> notion that voluntary, non-coerced<br />

participation by adults <strong>in</strong> sex work, factory work or any o<strong>the</strong>r work is traffick<strong>in</strong>g. While<br />

such work can be abusive <strong>and</strong> exploitative, it is only traffick<strong>in</strong>g if it amounts<br />

to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternationally recognized human rights violations of forced labor, slavery<br />

or servitude”. See A.D. Jordan: Annotated guide to <strong>the</strong> complete UN <strong>Traffick<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Protocol<br />

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