This Research Brief analyses possible scenarios of how smuggling of migrants and cross-border trafficking in persons are likely to be affected by the COVID-19 crisis along mixed migration routes to two important destination regions: North America and Europe. One of the major consequences of the pandemic is the economic recession resulting from the lockdown measures governments have put in place to contain the diffusion of the virus. This paper draws on the dynamics observed during other global economic downturns, such as the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, to assess how the COVID-19-induced recession may affect smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons in the medium to long term. The research also reviews available information on current patterns during the COVID-19 lockdown measures and mobility restrictions, and on drivers of migration, as a way to assess possible fluctuations of trends in smuggling of migrants and cross-border trafficking in persons in the near future.
The fishing industry in Thailand fell under global scrutiny in 2014 for the significant human rights violations at sea. Personal stories of victims who had worked for years at sea with little food and constant physical abuse created enough global at...Read More
Modern slavery in all of its guises – such as human trafficking, forced labour, sexual exploitation and organ trafficking – is endemic in many countries. It often preys on society’s most vulnerable people, stripping them of their rights to fre...Read More
The 2016 ITUC Global Rights Index shows workers’ rights were weakened in almost all regions of the world, including through severe crackdowns on the right to free speech and assembly. Part I of this publication provides a more detailed analysi...Read More
COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting every country in the world. Similarly, modern slavery is a global threat that affects every country in the world. This briefing aims to highlight some of the global concerns and increased potential threats aro...Read More
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