New survey data from Edo state, Nigeria, shows that significant shares of the population would expose themselves to human trafficking to migrate internationally. People have a nuanced understanding of the risk of exploitation after accepting a deal that involves migration in exchange for labour. Despite the potential dangers, people accept trafficking as a necessary means to achieve better opportunities abroad, write Tamara Bogatzki and Jérôme Dolling.
A poorly understood concept
When we think about human trafficking, we often think of dramatic scenes of abduction. Yet this image is largely inaccurate. A common misconception regarding human trafficking revolves around consent. According to the United Nations Trafficking in Person Protocol, human traffickers bring persons under their control for the specific purpose of exploitation. Trafficked persons may initially consent to the arrangement, but are forced, deceived, or coerced into exploitative labour conditions at a later stage.
But why would anyone willingly choose to be trafficked? It’s a question that requires us to look closely at the harsh realities faced by potential migrants from poorer countries. In Nigeria, regular pathways for migration to the UK, the EU, the US, or the Gulf States are not accessible and affordable for all. Faced with limited options, many turn to traffickers who offer a lucrative deal: migration to their chosen country in exchange for their labour on arrival.
It’s a proposition that, while potentially fraught with exploitation, offers a glimmer of hope to desperate, financially strapped would-be emigrants. This arrangement is particularly appealing to younger siblings in West African families, where the tradition often involves investing the family’s hopes and resources into the eldest son. Daughters and younger sons, eager to forge their own paths but lacking the means, may see migration as their only viable option. Those too poor to resort to other modes of migration have a stark choice: stay and face a lack of opportunity or risk exploitation for the chance of a better life abroad.
The challenge of confronting human trafficking in Nigeria
The conditions fostering trafficking are believed to be rooted in societal norms of migration, experiences of relative deprivation, and growing challenges associated with legal entry into Europe. However, it remains unclear why these root causes have led to a culture of human trafficking in southern Nigeria but not elsewhere. In studies conducted during the 1991–2001 period, a striking 94 per cent of female migrants trafficked to Europe for sexual exploitation originated from Nigeria’s southern states. Many individuals in Nigeria, and women in particular, have long accepted the risks of trafficking as a way to escape local hardships.
According to the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, the Nigerian government investigated 1,242 trafficking cases, with 511 of them being cases of sex trafficking, and convicted 97 individuals, 50 for sex trafficking. Despite these efforts, challenges persist, ranging from inadequately trained judges and a lack of familiarity with the law to issues of corruption. Government authorities established to combat human trafficking also have insufficient resources to engage in proactive anti-trafficking operations and often fail to secure convictions. Their offices are predominantly concentrated in state capitals, thus leaving rural areas under-monitored. There is a need for improved resources, adequate training, and a broader geographical focus to enhance the effectiveness of anti-trafficking operations.
International organisations, including the International Organization for Migration, and local entities, also actively participate in prevention efforts. This involves conducting awareness campaigns in churches, transit centres, schools, and international airports, with a predominant focus on reaching out to women. However, evidence for the effectiveness of awareness campaigns related to international migration and trafficking remains largely anecdotal. Therefore, effective policy tools must incorporate economic, social, and cultural factors that have been shaped by Nigeria’s long history of human trafficking.
Insights from Edo State
An important issue for research and analysis on human trafficking in Nigeria is that accurate estimates of its prevalence do not exist. The clandestine nature of the crime, different concepts of what trafficking entails, and the government’s limited capacity to identify trafficked persons and collect disaggregated data render such an estimation difficult.
Novel data from a representative survey in Edo state, Nigeria, conducted as part of the TRANSMIT project in 2023, tries to fill a data gap on individuals’ vulnerability to human trafficking. The data shows that 24 per cent of respondents know a person who has been trafficked or has worked in prostitution abroad to support their family. The willingness to be trafficked also appears to be high. When asked whether they would migrate with a trafficker, risking debt bondage and forced labour, a quarter of respondents said they would.
Family relations are another important factor influencing trafficking behaviour. When asked whether going abroad could be an opportunity for children to support their families even if it entails working in prostitution, 22 per cent of respondents in Edo state somewhat or strongly agree. This indicates that family support for sex trafficking is unexpectedly high. Consequently, trafficking in Edo state appears to be both commonplace and culturally accepted.
At the same time, respondents demonstrate a keen awareness of the prevalence of exploitation among women. They estimate that two-thirds of women would end up in forced labour or prostitution after being offered a job as a maid abroad. This estimate aligns closely with findings from IOM surveys along primary migration routes to Europe. These surveys reveal that approximately 60 per cent of Nigerians experienced exploitative practices after accepting a deal to migrate abroad. The high level of awareness regarding the risks of being trafficked calls into question the effectiveness of campaigns that aim to inform people about potential dangers.
Awareness of the risks of exploitation does not appear to deter individuals from viewing trafficking as a necessary means to achieve better opportunities abroad. This paradox highlights the limitations of current awareness campaigns and underscores the need for more comprehensive strategies that address the root causes of trafficking. Effective interventions must consider the socio-economic realities and deeply ingrained cultural norms that drive people to take such risks.
This blog is based on a study by the authors which is available here.
Photo credit: UN Women used with permission CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
