Mike Dottridge’s chapter ‘Introduction’ in Collateral Damage, gives readers an overview of a global study examining the impacts of anti-trafficking initiatives. The research emerged from the many concerns that some initiatives aimed to stop trafficking have been counter-productive to the very people they were intended to help. This stems from governments prioritizing the arrest and prosecution of traffickers rather than protecting the human rights of the trafficked person. To conduct this study, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women commissioned nine authors to conduct a case study of eight countries, examining their countries laws, publications, and sometimes interviewing government officials. The findings highlight three types of impact that anti-trafficking measures can facilitate: policies which make assistance and protection conditional on cooperation with law enforcement, anti-trafficking measures affecting migrants, and the use of ‘anti-trafficking’ as a disguise to further various political agendas.
I chose this resource as it is critical to center human-rights within migrant discourse. It is also an important reminder to critically examine policy initiatives. Although it may look like governments are advocating for the protection of vulnerable peoples, in many cases they misuse the term ‘anti-trafficking’ to advance anti-migration agendas. This results in the tightening of regular migration routes, pushing migrants to use riskier options that may lead to exploitation. It is important in transnational feminist work as trafficking in persons is commonly portrayed to disproportionately impact vulnerable women. It is also important in examining power dynamics and dismantling the ‘savior’ complex. It can be easy to implement policies that are seemingly useful, however, it is necessary to center the voices and concerns of people impacted to understand the full implications.
Dottridge, M. (2007). Introduction In Collateral Damage (pp. 1-28). Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Bangkok, Thailand: Amarin Printing & Publishing Public Company Limited.
Tags: Trafficking, human-rights, policy, anti-trafficking
Author: A1
Comments