Human Trafficking in the MENA Region: Trends and Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter analyzes human trafficking in the MENA region using the concepts of convergence and displacement. In order to examine how these concepts take form in this sui generis region, we chose two countries to analyze: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt. We argue that these countries constitute ideal case studies for several reasons, including that the UAE was the first Arab country to introduce legislation against human trafficking, while Egypt is one of the current leaders in terms of combating human trafficking in the region. Convergence can be defined as the confluence of criminal activity centered around a place, time, target or tactic. We find in the Kafala System such scheme, and we argue that not because it is a State-sponsored system, it is less illicit. In fact, when holding the UAE to international standards, we see how the State is both an enabler of and an accomplice to human trafficking and various forms of human rights violations. Crime displacement pertains to changes in the ways that offenders carry out their criminal activities, which ordinarily take the form of a strategy or response to adapt to—or overcome—unfavorable or changing conditions. Given that the Egyptian government is taking significant steps toward preventing, protecting, and prosecuting human trafficking within its territory, the data suggests that certain criminal activity might be displacing common forms of exploitation in the country. In this vein, the UNODC’s Global Reports (2012–2020) indicate that sexual exploitation and forced labor are in decline, while child exploitation in various forms is on the rise. We bring the chapter to a close by formulating some concluding remarks, which should not be viewed as conclusions per se, but rather as setting the stage for a broader dialogue.KeywordsMENA regionHuman traffickingMigrant smugglingKafala SystemChild exploitation