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She said this might be God’s way of taking care of us. Family involvement in human trafficking

Sarah Adeyinka (Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium)
Ine Lietaert (Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium)
Ilse Derluyn (Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium)

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care

ISSN: 1747-9894

Article publication date: 21 July 2023

Issue publication date: 27 November 2023

171

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the role of family members in human trafficking and how their roles impact and are perceived by their children and wards.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses data collected through a longitudinal, cross-country study. The study was conducted among 31 female, Nigerian victims of trafficking in Italy.

Findings

The authors argue that family members play important, howbeit diverse roles across space and time, in the different stages of the trafficking process, echoing a relational approach of their geographies.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the under-researched role of how family members may (wilfully or unknowingly) facilitate and aid the trafficking of their dependents and the consequences of their involvement on their children and wards.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors express gratitude to all the participants, practitioners and researchers who contributed to this study.

Declaration of interest: The authors confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication.

Funding: This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant number: 714222).

Citation

Adeyinka, S., Lietaert, I. and Derluyn, I. (2023), "She said this might be God’s way of taking care of us. Family involvement in human trafficking", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 19 No. 3/4, pp. 157-172. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-11-2022-0116

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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