Conflict zones, the backbones of human trafficking

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 The spread of economic crises, the lack of social services, the decrease of governmental aid,

and the migration of people out of countries in which conflict is expanding, are increasing the risk

of human trafficking. People that live under these conditions are more subject to be helpless and, in

order to seek more opportunities to survive in these conflict areas, they are willing to take more

risks, which often facilitate human traffickers in their task. Human trafficking is an issue that has

existed for thousands of years all over the world, starting from the middle ages and highly

increasing until the modern age. During the colonialism period, people living in defeated countries

were recruited as slaves by the conquerors. Subsequently, during the Second World War women

were used as means of entertainment for men that were fighting in the war; thus, they were held in

brothels constructed especially for this reason. These problems have been dealt with many times in

governmental meetings. Nevertheless, social and political apprehensions are rising, as the issue of

women and children trafficking is rapidly increasing and influencing the growth of this criminal

enterprise. This essay will argue that in contemporary times, conflict situations are one of the main

causes of human trafficking; in particular, they are the principal reason of child trafficking and

children recruitment as young soldiers in armed forces.

To begin with, the international definition of trafficking is built upon three main factors: first

“the recruitment, harbouring, transportation, or receipt of an individual”, second “through force,

fraud or coercion”, and third “for the purpose of exploitation” (Kosanovich 2017). The connection

between conflict zones and human trafficking is highlighted by three main trafficking trends

associated with war: within and into conflict zones, from outside a conflict zone and through one,

and child trafficking. The first tendency of human trafficking is characterized by the marketing of

people that are already inside the conflict zone. One of the main issues linked to this topic is the

trafficking of members of the Yazidi community, a Kurdish religious minority, in areas that are

under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS, and the Islamic State of

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Iraq and the Levant. This problem, already existing in Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded quickly also

to Syria. The people that are part of this minority are “forced to become militants and suicide

bombers” (Kosanovich 2017) for the Islamic State; moreover, women are bought or sold as sexual

slaves or brides against their will. The second trend is characterised by trafficking out of and into a

conflict zone. The principal problem is the traffic of refugees or migrants that are escaping from

dangerous areas; these people are described as nomads, without a home or a safe place to stay.

Therefore, they are more in danger and have a major risk of being a target for human traffickers. A

consequence of this trend could be the “refugee crisis”, that occurred after the critical situation in

Syria, that created a massive flow of immigrants in the surrounding nations. The refugee camps

installed for these immigrants were a destination for traffickers to abduct and sexually exploit

young people or force them into hard work in order to be able to travel to “safe” countries, as the

United Kingdom or Italy. The third, and last, trend is characterised by child trafficking both in

conflict zones and outside. Children that are left alone in a conflict zone either because they lost

their parents or because they were abandoned are taken as soldiers by terrorist groups or the rebels.

Additionally, abandoned children that are fleeing from their countries are at risk to be taken for

forced labour or prostitution. Therefore, conflicts are one of the main causes of human trafficking

into the warfare areas and they influence the traffic of people that are fleeing the war zones.

Another effect of the conflict zones is the increasing number of girls who have been forced

to become sexual servants or to marry older men when they are still young. The crisis caused by

conflicts is strongly reducing the opportunity for young girls to have an education, leaving them at

home with their families. This factor implements the risk of child marriages, as high education

provides girls with knowledge and experience that help them understand the risks of matrimony.

This information could lead girls to postpone this event, as “girls are still children and are not ready

to be married” (Girls Not Brides 2017). Catastrophes and conflicts aggravate poverty and lack of

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education and this leads to issues as child marriage or child trafficking. The problem of child

marriage that is spreading in the Syrian community is strictly connected with the endangerment that

the conflict arising in that area is causing. In addition, families in combat zones are worried about

the safety of their children; therefore they are keen to let them marry someone that could provide

security and financial stability for them. One of the main problems is that often marriage is not the

solution to the issues of these families because generally the girl is abandoned by her husband and

is exposed to even worse dangers than before. However, armed groups are still using child

marriages and sexual violence on children to spread a sense of panic, terror and fear in the

population in order to gain more power and control over them.

Finally, the cold and helpless environment generated by conflicts in warfare zones makes

children vulnerable to radicalisation and recruitment by armed forces. Due to the shortage of

manpower that the countries in conflict have to face, children are seen as replacements of adult

soldiers in wars and battles. Additionally, families feel obliged to hand their progeny to the armed

forces, as they cannot take care of every member of the family and the Islamic State group

guarantees sustainment for the relatives of these children. “The Syrian opposition officially regards

child soldiering as an unfortunate consequence of war beyond its control” (Mutter 2015).

Nevertheless, UNICEF documented an increase in child soldiers' recruitment, especially in Syria

and countries that are in a situation of continuous conflict. Deranged children are more likely

persuaded to engage in dangerous events, as fighting for their country and for their families,

principally because they do not have a broadened conception of death. Many children are abducted

and tortured by armed forces, in order to have their obedience and totally submit them; others

follow armed groups to escape poverty and misery that are caused by conflicts. These children act

mainly as suicide bombers, minesweepers and bomb-makers in combats, whereas girls are taken as

“war-brides”, that is to say, they are recruited to comfort and entertain the soldiers during their

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service in the army. Thus, girls are kidnapped and recruited as sexual slaves while boys are used as

messengers or human arms.

The previous arguments can be disputed, as human trafficking occurs not only in conflict

zones or as a consequence of conflicts; it can also take place in countries that are considered “safe”,

without conflicts and war zones. First, trafficking in human beings also takes place in well-known

places of the world. In Europe, the issue of developing forced sexual exploitations of women is

spreading, but it is not necessarily acknowledged as a problem. In Eastern European countries

“transnational criminal organizations are involved in human trafficking” (Petrunov 2014). Due to

lack of socio-economic resources, families in the Eastern countries of Europe come apart. In the

past, the head of the family had to migrate to Western nations to seek a career in order to provide for

its family; women stayed at home and had to take on the male role in the community. In

contemporary times, the parts have changed and women are increasingly gaining importance in the

society. This is leading to a more feminised migration around the country; “they are forced to look

for jobs in other countries and this directly affects trafficking” (Gramegna 2001). Analysing the

mechanism of sexual mistreatment, trafficking is performed through recruitment, which is often put

in place by someone familiar to the victim. This individual offers the woman a regular and ordinary

job in the country of destination, for instance as maid or caretaker. Evidently, this job is purely

imagined, considering that, as they reach the new town, they are immediately recruited as sexual

slaves. Additionally, there is a severe issue about child refugees that are gone missing in Europe in

the last years. At least 10,000 children disappeared after their arrival in Europe; they are believed to

be taken by human traffickers for sexual exploitation or slavery. However, in the “safe” countries, in

which the child refugees arrive, there is a national response to protect their rights and safety. The

governments of the nations that host the migrants create specific organizations and programs in

order to assist and safeguard them. The people of these host countries try to question themselves

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about what could be done for the migrants and act accordingly. For instance, Anne Longfield, the

Children's Commissioner for England, appealed to the English authorities in order to arrange safety

plans for the children that arrive alone and are at risk to be taken by human traffickers. National

governments are demanded to intervene with safety programs concerning the crisis of child-

trafficking in their countries. The German population started volunteering operations in order to

create a hospitable environment, as a program of sharing houses with people that flee persecutions

and threats. Additionally, non-governmental organizations and charities submitted petitions

addressing the migrants' problem and focusing on their dilemma. The principal world-wide known

institution is UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, which provides assistance to children

and their mothers in the conflict zones and in Europe. UNICEF has created centres to support and

shield children and families in need, in these bases they arrange safe places in which these children

are protected from infections, violence and human trafficking. Furthermore, this organization helps

children that migrate through Europe, particularly across Italy, Turkey and Greece, by giving them

“life-saving supplies, emergency hygiene kits, child protection services and counselling”

(UNICEF). The main claim of the institution is that these children cannot be seen as simply

migrants or refugees, but they are first of all children and they have to be defended against every

danger that threatens them.

In conclusion, as far as human trafficking is concerned, “the most vulnerable victims are

women, children and refugees” (AP 2016) that find themselves in conflict situations, as children

and women are components of the society “whose capacities to protect themselves are very limited”

(Gottfried 2016). The innumerable cases of human trafficking in conflict zones have proved that, in

contemporary times, conflict situations are one of the main causes of trafficking of human beings.

In this paper it was argued that the connection between human trafficking and conflict zones is

characterised by three main trafficking trends connected with conflict: within and into conflict

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zones, from outside a conflict zone into one, and child trafficking. Additionally, the impact of the

crisis has caused an increase in numbers of girls who have been forced into marriage. Finally,

warfare zones make children vulnerable to radicalisation and recruitment as child soldiers. This

topic affects people around the whole globe, as it has a potent social and political impact. Conflict

zones are the main cause of a strong flow of refugees, fleeing dangerous zones into other countries;

however, they can find themselves in even more severe dangers, such as being abducted and

abused.

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