An Introduction to Human Trafficking - United Nations Office on ...

PART THREE.—ACTION
showed that numerous people had been trafficked by women or by relatives. 54 The
challenge, in this case, was <strong>to</strong> work out how <strong>to</strong> warn young people that they had <strong>to</strong> remain
on guard about offers made by relatives (<strong>to</strong> go abroad “on holiday” or <strong>to</strong> work) without
fracturing family relationships. 55
In a few cases, research has already examined the roles played by individuals who are
commonly described as “traffickers”, but who, on close scrutiny, turn out <strong>to</strong> be involved
in recruitment for jobs in the informal economy that is not of a criminal nature. Indeed,
in West Africa one preventive method that has been identified involves supporting and
strengthening certain recruitment practices that already help protect the individuals being
recruited.
D.—Research on the numbers of trafficked persons
Having some idea of the numbers of trafficked persons is helpful for Governments that
choose what level of resources <strong>to</strong> allocate <strong>to</strong> anti-trafficking initiatives. It is problematic,
therefore, that estimates unsupported by evidence have been routinely and widely publicized.
For example, in Europe an elected official reported in 2006 that the <strong>United</strong> <strong>Nations</strong>
had estimated that 4 million people were transported within or between countries every
year in order <strong>to</strong> be exploited sexually. 56 No evidence is available <strong>to</strong> support estimates
approaching this magnitude.
A 2006 report issued by the <strong>United</strong> States of America Government Accountability <strong>Office</strong>
criticizes unfounded numbers cited by Governments, including the <strong>United</strong> States
Government, noting that the accuracy of the estimates was in doubt because of methodological
weaknesses, gaps in data and numerical discrepancies. 57 The main weakness
noted in such estimates is that terms (such as “victims of trafficking”) are not defined or
used precisely. In addition, data on the number of people trafficked are confused with
those on other groups of people, such as the number of migrants smuggled in<strong>to</strong> a
country or the number of women in prostitution. One comment in the Government
Accountability <strong>Office</strong> report applies <strong>to</strong> data published virtually everywhere:
“The incompatibility of definitions for data collection is exacerbated by the intermingling
of trafficking, smuggling, and illegal migration in official statistics. Countries
have used different definitions regarding the scope and means of trafficking; the
activities involved … For example, there are discrepancies in the collection of data
on sex trafficking.”
54
June Kane, Child <strong>Trafficking</strong> – The People Involved: a Synthesis of Findings from Albania, Moldova, Romania and
Ukraine, (Geneva, International Labour <strong>Office</strong>, 2005); and Mike Dottridge, Action <strong>to</strong> Prevent Child <strong>Trafficking</strong> in South
Eastern Europe: a Preliminary Assessment (Geneva, UNICEF and Terre des Hommes, 2006).
55
Mike Dottridge and Olivier Feneyrol, “Action <strong>to</strong> strengthen indigenous child protection mechanisms in West
Africa <strong>to</strong> prevent migrant children from being subjected <strong>to</strong> abuse”, May 2007 (see http://www.tdh.ch/
website/tdhch.nsf/pages/trafficking_documentationE).
56
European Parliament, debate on forced prostitution during the 2006 football World Cup, Strasbourg, 12 June
2006 (see http://www.europarl.europa.eu/omk/sipade3?L=EN&OBJID=120219).
57
<strong>United</strong> States of America, Government Accountability <strong>Office</strong>, <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Trafficking</strong>: Better Data, Strategy, and
Reporting Needed <strong>to</strong> Enhance U.S. <strong>An</strong>ti-trafficking Efforts Abroad, GAO report GAO-06-825 (Washing<strong>to</strong>n D.C.,
July 2006), p. 26 (see http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06825.pdf).
125