This report is the product of a two years study examining causes and dynamics of, and vulnerabilities to, human trafficking in Albania, Vietnam and Nigeria. The study also looked at the specific support needs of individuals trafficked from each of these source countries. This report was produced by the IOM, and Institute of Applied Social Research.
The study makes use of qualitative data taken from 164 semi-structures interviews with adults with experience of human trafficking and key informants who have expertise on trafficking from each source country. The data collection occurred over a nine month period in 2018. The study makes use of the IOM Determinants of Migrant Vulnerability (DoMV) model as a framework within which to examine the vulnerabilities to, and ongoing support needs of victims of, human trafficking. The model looks at four levels designed to comprehensively understand the vulnerability of migrants to human trafficking. The four levels are:
- Individual
- Household and family
- Community
- Structural
The report overall presents twelve key findings including: the risk factors transcend the different levels of the IOM DoMV model; harmful social norms in each of the source countries can intersect with human trafficking, and this often occurs in gender specific ways; and, certain cultural and religious beliefs about luck and divine protection can influence decisions to embark on dangerous journeys that might increase vulnerability. The full findings of the study can be found in the report here.