The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of how Filipino female returnees cope with the experience of labour trafficking when reintegrated into their home communities, and how this coping relate to existing research on comparable returnee experiences. The empirical material consists of qualitative interviews with five returnees, conducted during an eight-week stay in the Philippines. The study identifies coping strategies adapted upon return, and analyzes them in the light of the local context and previous studies in the field. The results of the study indicate that, according to the women’s descriptions, strategies related to the escape/avoidance coping type are adapted to a higher extent than other types of coping strategies. These strategies seem to be highly related to the experience or fear of becoming victims of gossiping neighbours and/or patronizing family members. Distancing through humour was also appearing to a great extent in all the interviews, as well as seeking social support. It was found that the strategies expressed by the women were mostly emotion-focused or dysfunctional as opposed to problem-focused, but in many cases active as opposed to passive. The most common social support resources appearing in the interviews were the family, the church, and the supporting organization. The experiences of the respondents have a lot in common with the experiences brought forward in other studies in the same field, though it is important to be aware of the different social and cultural settings in which most of the existing research has been implemented. With this study, the author hopes to contribute to a better understanding of what kind of support Filipino female labour trafficking returnees are in need of, and how to further develop the support system for them and similar groups.

This study examined and analysed human trafficking as a security issue using South Africa and Mozambique as country case studies. Information gathered through documentary analysis methodology is relied upon to develop a conceptual framework of human trafficking and security. The link between trafficking and security is evaluated based on the conceptualisation of trafficking in the Palermo Protocol as well as the criteria for declaring social phenomena security threats, as articulated by the UN and several scholars. Through global and national overviews of human trafficking, its patterns, extent and enabling conditions are identified and analysed. In South Africa and Mozambique, human trafficking has domestic and international dimensions and is facilitated by several factors. However, factors facilitating domestic trafficking do not necessarily facilitate international trafficking in South Africa. The opposite is however, the case in the Mozambican context. An analysis of global, regional, and national counter trafficking measures, shows that the national security implications of human trafficking are not explicitly addressed. Trafficking involves national border violations; organised crime; corruption, and physical violence which have implications for security at all levels. Consequently, recommendations are made for the explicit securitisation of trafficking as well as the demonstration of sufficient political will to combat it. Regional and international co-operation is also considered necessary to combat trafficking, as well as prosecution of offenders and the introduction of poverty alleviating measures. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Political Sciences / DPhil / Unrestricted

La tratta degli esseri umani a scopo di sfruttamento lavorativo (tratta lavorativa, labour trafficking) in Europa è un grave crimine contro le persone, che viola i diritti umani. La ricerca esistente si concentra principalmente sulle vittime, mentre lo studio degli autori di reato e sul modo in cui sfruttano le vulnerabilità del sistema è meno sviluppato. Questo è dovuto in parte alla mancanza di dati robusti, ma anche a un approccio della ricerca criminologica tradizionalmente rigido e settoriale. Al contrario, lo studio della tratta lavorativa richiede concetti flessibili, che riconoscano le radici profonde di questo fenomeno nell’intero sistema socioeconomico, più che il semplice prodotto della volontà degli autori dei reati. Partendo dalle indicazioni della letteratura, questa ricerca si concentra sul settore agricolo italiano, non ancora esaminato da un punto di vista criminologico. L’obiettivo è la comprensione dei meccanismi attraverso i quali la tratta lavorativa nasce e si sviluppa. La scelta del contesto dello studio è dovuta alle caratteristiche peculiari dell’Italia, che rendono la tratta lavorativa in agricoltura centrale per il dibattito nazionale. Inoltre, l'Italia condivide alcune caratteristiche con altri paesi europei, e dunque alcune lezioni apprese da questo caso possono essere discusse alla luce del dibattito internazionale. In primo luogo, un’analisi a livello macro esamina come i fattori strutturali associati nella letteratura internazionale alla tratta lavorativa si concretizzano nel contesto italiano. I risultati mostrano che il sistema stesso sembra creare un terreno fertile per lo sviluppo e il mantenimento della tratta lavorativa: la vulnerabilità dei lavoratori migranti è insita nell'attuale quadro normativo dell’immigrazione; la filiera agroalimentare impone ai produttori la riduzione del costo della forza lavoro; e l'attuale sistema legale basato sulla repressione delle condotte criminose inquadrate come eventi eccezionali è insufficiente. In secondo luogo, un’analisi a livello meso descrive le caratteristiche generali delle reti della tratta lavorativa in Italia. Quattro casi studio selezionati con un metodo razionale e sistematico sono poi approfonditi per identificare le principali caratteristiche, modalità e organizzazione relazionale dei reati, e i metodi con cui viene sviluppata e mantenuta la condizione di sfruttamento delle vittime. I risultati mostrano che nei quattro casi studio le reti si sviluppano e si adattano alle opportunità offerte dal sistema legale. I risultati e gli insegnamenti tratti dal caso italiano sono infine discussi alla luce del dibattito internazionale sulla tratta lavorativa. / Labour trafficking in Europe is a serious crime against persons, violating their fundamental human rights. Existing research primarily focuses on the victims, while data on offenders and the manner in which they exploit vulnerabilities is less developed. Recent trends in criminological literature are highlighting how the past lack of research is related to the lack of robust data, but also to traditional rigid approaches with exception to few extreme cases. On the contrary, they call for more flexible concepts recognising that labour trafficking is not only the product of offenders’ will, but has deep roots embedded in the socioeconomic system. Elaborating on these indications, this research focuses on the Italian agriculture sector, which has not yet been examined in literature from a criminological perspective, with the aim to understand the mechanisms through which labour trafficking originates and develops. This choice has been made because the characteristics particular to Italy make labour trafficking in agriculture central to the debate within the country; and because Italy shares some characteristics with other European countries, so some lessons learnt from this case can be discussed in light of the international debate on labour trafficking. First, a macro-analysis examines how the structural factors associated in the international literature with labour trafficking take shape in the Italian context. The results show that the system itself seems to create a fertile ground for labour trafficking to develop and maintain: migrant workers’ vulnerability is inherent in the current migration regulatory framework; the agrifood supply chain makes it necessary for producers to lower the cost of workforce; and the current legal system based on the repression of abusive conducts seen as exceptional events proves ineffective. Second, a meso-analysis at organisation/network level describes the general characteristics of labour trafficking networks in Italy, and then zooms in four case studies selected through a rational systematic method to identify the main features, modalities, and relational organisation of the crime commission, and how the exploitative condition of the victims is developed and maintained. The results show that in the four case studies the trafficking networks develop and adapt to the opportunities offered by the legal system. The results are finally discussed in light of the international debate on labour trafficking, and the lessons learned from the case of Italy.