The impact of global crises on trafficking in persons

Climate change increases risk of human trafficking 

Climate change induces natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and fires. These major environmental events exacerbate poverty and situations of conflict and instability, especially in already vulnerable regions. Survivors may attempt to migrate to more viable areas, providing human traffickers the space to operate and exploit those who are searching for safety and income in their efforts to restore their lives. For example, field research in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr in 2007 indicated that criminal networks began to operate in the disaster-affected region, leading to increased rates of trafficking. Traffickers preyed on individuals and families who were desperate to cross the border to India for economic opportunities, forcing them into prostitution and hard labor. These findings highlight the need for governments to build the capacity to effectively protect disaster survivors and intervene in circumstances that leave them vulnerable to trafficking.

COVID-19 pandemic can lead to difficulties in detecting instances of human trafficking

In addition to increasing the risk of trafficking due to exacerbated vulnerabilities, COVID-19 has created circumstances that make the identification of trafficked individuals more challenging. Narrowing in on healthcare, COVID-19 has burdened hospitals and emergency departments in many countries. Concerns about infection exposure, ventilator and PPE shortages, and treatment for those who are severely ill can take priority, thus leading to cases of human trafficking being overlooked. Under these circumstances, healthcare professionals may assume there is no time to adequately screen for trafficking and exploitation, or to notify patients of rights and resources. These findings display the need to implement practices that allow for the identification of trafficking despite constraints on time, such as providing written resources to patients, being observant of patients’ home environments in televisits, and displaying posters about trafficking throughout the healthcare facility.

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