Donor:
Winrock International

Topic:
Research in Bangladesh on structural and individual factors that influence vulnerability to human trafficking 

Research Background: 
The purpose is to conduct research on the structural and individual factors, if any, that influence vulnerability to being trafficked and to identify the factors that may exacerbate or mitigate the likelihood of being trafficked. Alternatively, it is important to understand what factors influence the ability of someone to be able to escape or avoid trafficking situations and exploitation in the process of migration and employment in high-risk sectors. For example, factors such as debt, fear of returning empty-handed, lack of knowledge, fear of retaliation, isolation, etc. If possible, this research should also build the evidence base around the implications of climate change and how it may influence trafficking in persons (TIP) trends and risks in both origin and destination countries and within a country.

This research will seek to understand the personal/lived factors that increase vulnerability to TIP. It will also review the broad, structural factors, including higher-level theories of what influences trafficking – such as weak states, poverty, restrictive immigration policies, discrimination, complex migration policies that create the need for third-party intermediaries, and the lack of protective laws. However, it is clear that context matters, as these factors are not sufficient or necessary for trafficking – for example, people from countries with easy to navigate migration policies and strong protective systems can still be trafficked. Therefore, the findings of the research should contribute to a deeper understanding of the critical gaps in knowledge that relate to the contextual and individual factors of trafficking within Bangladesh.

Method: 
Field data collection and interviews of different peoples including the active participation of survivors and migrants. 

 
Research Outcome:

The outcome of this research should result in concrete recommendations for trafficking prevention, not only understanding what vulnerabilities exist, but what can be done to mitigate these vulnerabilities based on the specific country context. The outcomes should frame vulnerabilities as something that can potentially be changed, something individuals can protect themselves against, and not a static condition. A second important outcome for the research is testable and reliable methods that can be replicated in additional contexts to uncover vulnerabilities. A third major outcome for this research is a deeper understanding of how climate change is impacting trafficking occurrence in Asia.

Expected Duration Period:
8 months

Arif Mahmud is a researcher on comparative criminal justice systems and currently working as a lecturer of law at Daffodil International University. His primary teaching areas are criminology and criminal law. His area of research includes comparative criminal justice, data privacy law, and artificial intelligence law.