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

AN INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING: VULNERABILITY, IMPACT AND ACTION
by relevant authorities. Trafficked persons may be unsure of how they are supposed <strong>to</strong>
answer questions. They may be reluctant <strong>to</strong> disclose information, or may give false
information, be irritable or hostile and aggressive <strong>to</strong>wards others, even support persons.
They may seem complaining, uncooperative or ungrateful. As a result, they may not be
identified as victims of crime, further compounding the injustice they have experienced.
In many instances, failure <strong>to</strong> identify a person as a trafficking victim commonly results in
deportation from the country of transit or destination without access <strong>to</strong> legal, medical or
social services. Such behaviour, however, may manifest in individuals for many years.
Upon return <strong>to</strong> the country of origin, assistance <strong>to</strong> trafficked persons will depend on
existing economic, political and social conditions. Assistance, when available, may be
contingent upon certain behaviours and conditions, for example, zero <strong>to</strong>lerance of
substance abuse and adherence <strong>to</strong> structured daily regimens. Victims may be <strong>to</strong>o traumatized
<strong>to</strong> participate effectively in programmes, take decisions, show preferences or accept
help. Unaddressed physical health symp<strong>to</strong>ms and chronic pain will also affect victims’
ability <strong>to</strong> participate in programmes available for their assistance. In some countries,
service programmes and providers limit a victim’s right <strong>to</strong> determine what is best for themselves.
Where “assistance” is perceived as placing unnecessary or unwanted restrictions
on victims, trafficked individuals may respond through various forms of uncooperative
behaviour. Worst case examples are those which impose a “victim” status on a trafficking
person that further victimizes, rather than rehabilitates, that individual.
Fear, in its many manifestations, is also a common behavioural response <strong>to</strong> return. Leaving
aside the stigma and shame associated with trafficking, trafficking victims anticipate and
frequently suffer reprisals upon return <strong>to</strong> their points of origin, from threats and actual
physical violence against themselves or those close <strong>to</strong> them through <strong>to</strong> the very real possibility,
in many cases, of being retrafficked.
G.—Stigma
The response of family members and the community will have an impact upon the recovery
process of trafficked persons. Although more is known about the stigma facing victims
of trafficking for sexual exploitation, all trafficked persons may face social disapproval
if they return without promised wealth, regardless of the harm they suffered. 19 In many
countries, the impact of the trauma is influenced significantly by how victims imagine
their culture will view their experiences. Many victims know that cultural attitudes <strong>to</strong> prostitution
could prevent them from being accepted by their families and communities. In
some cultures the entire family could be ostracized as a result of the victim’s past. 20
19
“More needs <strong>to</strong> be done <strong>to</strong> address stigma and discrimination <strong>to</strong>wards women trafficked for sexual
exploitation”, International Organization for Migration, Regional <strong>Office</strong> in Finland, press release for International
Women's Day, 8 March 2006 (see www.pld.iom.int/en/news).
20
Elizabeth Peffer Talbot, “<strong>An</strong> assault on the soul: an international plaque in the 21st century”, paper presented
at the Convention of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2006, page 5 (see www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings2006/TalbotE<strong>An</strong>Assaul<strong>to</strong>ntheSoulE.pdf).
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