5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Forced migration and trafficking in persons are the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity and are of increasing concern to the international community. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that nearly 50 million people are victims of trafficking globally making it the 2nd largest criminal industry in the world today and it generate a revenue of approximately 9.5 billion dollars annually. The most vulnerable groups are women, children, and forced migrants that remain disproportionately affected, as they share many elements in common such as their vulnerability, lack of protection and security. The vast majority of trafficking victims are the consequences of neo-liberal policies that cause poverty and unemployment, cultural practices and climate change. Trafficking led to adverse impacts on the physical and mental health of victims due to violence and emotional coercion. It is a gender problem, as unequal power relations reinforce women's secondary status in society. Lastly, it is a legal problem, as they are stripped of their human rights and lack any access to redress for the crimes committed against them. Thus, this panel will focus the nexus between forced migration and trafficking in persons taking into account the variables of gender, human rights and neoliberalism. Such an exploration and debate of all possible variables involved will aim at finding ways of improving the coordination of efforts at the regional, national and global levels against sex trafficking, as well as strengthening gender sensitive approaches in all anti-trafficking efforts.