Blog & Photo Essays

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2022: Use and Abuse of Technology

This year’s theme for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is the use and abuse of technology, focusing on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and counter human trafficking. For over twenty years, the NEXUS Institute has been innovating the application and adaptation of methods for the collection, analysis, and presentation of new knowledge about trafficking in persons, including the role of technology in anti-trafficking work. For this year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we would like to highlight the following topics and publications: Technology and TIP Data Collection There exist an increasing number of technology options…

Victims’ Voices Lead the Way in Combatting Trafficking in Persons: World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2021

This year’s theme for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is Victims’ Voices Lead the Way, highlighting the importance of listening to and learning from victims of trafficking in persons. The voices of survivors are critical to anti-trafficking work and we, as practitioners, have much to learn from trafficked persons about what works, what doesn’t, and why. This includes understanding how trafficking victims experience anti-trafficking measures including when these measures, in spite of good intentions, are ineffective and even harmful. The recently published NEXUS Institute and Bali Process Regional Support Office (RSO) Practitioner Guides draw on victim-centered counter-trafficking research, to guide…

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2020

For World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2020, we are sharing with you our publications from the last year. In 2019, we were pleased to publish the research series from our project Good Practice in Global Data Collection on Trafficking in Persons: The Science (and Art) of Understanding TIP, which ran from 2014-2018. This global study drew from interviews with more than 120 TIP researchers, TIP experts, TIP data collection project staff, and National Rapporteurs-equivalent mechanisms engaged in collecting data on trafficking in persons and more than 400 trafficking victims who have been involved in TIP data collection or research. The publication…

Tackling human trafficking along the Balkan Route. How to improve identification and assistance of trafficked migrants and refugees

In recent years, the flow of migrants and refugees into Europe has significantly increased. This has primarily involved the dramatic influx of Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees/migrants who have moved through the Balkans (often referred to as “the Balkan route”) in their attempt to reach and resettle in the European Union (EU). Along the way and at various stages of their journeys and flights, many of these migrants and refugees are exposed to different risks, vulnerabilities and exploitation, including, in some cases, human trafficking. And yet, to date, there has been limited empirical evidence of when, why and how vulnerability…

Trafficked Along the “Balkan Route”

This photo essay originally appeared on June 9, 2016 on Medium. Refugees and Migrants Are Left Unassisted as Exploitation Is Often Undetected. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of refugees and migrants traveling on the “Balkan route” — the path stretching from the Middle East to the European Union through Turkey and South East Europe — in search of a better life in the European Union. The journey, via the choppy and often deadly waters of the Aegean Sea, is fraught with risk and many people find themselves exposed to exploitation, including human trafficking. To date, however, there…

Human Trafficking In Indonesia: The Difficult Road Home

This photo essay originally appeared on July 13, 2016 on Medium. In Indonesia, human trafficking is a pressing problem. With over 32 million people living below the poverty line in this vast island nation, many thousands of Indonesians each year end up in working conditions indicative of trafficking. And once a trafficking victim returns home, the ordeal of being trapped in modern slavery is too often followed by a daunting personal struggle to put their life back together, according to new research by the NEXUS Institute, an independent human rights research and policy center based in Washington, D.C. Based on…

Traffickers and Trafficking Enterprises. Challenges in researching human traffickers and trafficking operations

This post originally appeared on July 31, 2015 at The Trafficking Research Project Traffickers and Trafficking Enterprises. Challenges in researching human traffickers and trafficking operations. TTRP has taken a reprieve – and there are changes underfoot! Until our next and final post, Rebecca Surtees, to whom we are immensely grateful for steadfastly supporting our mission, provides us with a final guest contribution to the blog. This post is adapted from Traffickers and trafficking. Challenges in researching human traffickers and trafficking operations, a paper authored by NEXUS Institute within the framework of the NEXUS Institute and IOM Human Trafficking Research Series funded by the U.S.…

After trafficking. The reintegration needs and experiences of trafficked children

This post originally appeared on March 14, 2014 at The Trafficking Research Project After trafficking. The (re)integration needs and experiences of trafficked children Regular contributor Rebecca Surtees from the NEXUS Institute is back this week. This post focuses on one of the findings identified in“After Trafficking. Experiences and challenges in the (re)integration of trafficked persons in the GMS”, a regional study of (re)integration in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The research study was commissioned by the six COMMIT governments as part of the 2nd and 3rd COMMIT Sub-regional Plan of Action (2008-2010 and 2011-2013). The study, conducted by NEXUS Institute, analysed the effectiveness of (re)integration…

Trapped at sea. Using the legal and regulatory framework to combat trafficking at sea

This post originally appeared on February 21, 2014 at The Trafficking Research Project Trapped at sea. Using the legal and regulatory framework to combat trafficking at sea Once again, we welcome Rebecca Surtees from the NEXUS Institute. This post is adapted from “Trapped at sea. Using the Legal and Regulatory Framework to Prevent and Combat the Trafficking of Seafarers and Fishers”, published in 2013 in the Groningen Journal of International Law. Vol. 1, No. 2: Human Trafficking. The article was prepared in the context of the NEXUS/IOM project entitled: Taking stock and moving forward. Considering methods, ethics and approaches in trafficking research and data…

Ethical principles in the re/integration of trafficked persons. Experiences from the Balkans

This post originally appeared on October 18, 2013 at The Trafficking Research Project Ethical principles in the re/integration of trafficked persons. Experiences from the Balkans This week we welcome back Rebecca Surtees. Rebecca is Senior Researcher at NEXUS Institute, an international human rights research and policy center in Washington, DC. NEXUS Institute is dedicated to combating human trafficking as well as other human rights abuses. This post is written in conjunction with a newly released report on developing common ethical principles within anti-trafficking re/integration. In the Balkan region, human trafficking continues to be a pressing issue. One central aspect of anti-trafficking work…

Researching the unseen: Challenges in human trafficking research

This post originally appeared on June 14, 2013 at The Trafficking Research Project Researching the unseen: Challenges in human trafficking research. TTRP is pleased to have Rebecca Surtees as a guest blogger this week. Rebecca is Senior Researcher at NEXUS Institute, an international human rights research and policy center in Washington, DC. NEXUS Institute is dedicated to combating human trafficking as well as other human rights abuses. Recent research studies include: Trafficked at sea. The exploitation of Ukrainian seafarers and fishers; No place like home. Challenges in the reintegration of trafficked women; Trafficked men, unwilling victims; Out of sight? Challenges in the identification…