The Forms of Human Trafficking on International Migration Context: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Nethra Senadhi , university of Colombo

Human trafficking is a global problem affecting most countries including Sri Lanka. This paper analyses the forms of human trafficking in an international migration context. The study is based on primary data collected in 2016 from persons who logged complaints on trafficking with the Repatriation Division, Ministry of Foreign Employment, Sri Lanka, selected through a purposive sampling method and triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data. Forms of trafficking is connected to all three stages of trafficking – recruitment, transportation and exploitation. The results revealed that at the recruitment stage all the trafficked persons faced coercion or intimidation or deception. Economic hardship, unemployment, domestic violence are considered the main factors in creating these conditions. At the exploitation stage, trafficked are exploited by both labour exploitation and sexual exploitation. Labour exploitation occurs mainly through they nonpayment of agreed wage, forced to work upon the completion of contract, unfulfilled basic needs, unfair work load, and the breaching of employment contract. Sexual exploitation occurs mainly through physical harassment, abuse the trafficked persons. Also 3D jobs are directly affected for this vulnerable. Therefore the results suggest that appropriate mechanism need to be established in order to strengthen migration laws and create job opportunities in Sri Lanka for those who have the risk of being trafficked. Key words: international migration, forms of human trafficking

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 Presented in Session P3. Poster Session Migration, Economics, Environment, Methods, History and Policy