*EPF209 01/06/2004
Excerpt: Study Finds Demand Is a Factor Driving Human Trafficking
(Work examines sex industry and domestic labor in Europe and Asia) (1270)

Research announced by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) January 6 says that demands of the marketplace are a factor in causing human trafficking. Conducted by two British researchers in selected nations of Europe and Asia, the study suggests that the unregulated labor conditions of sex workers and domestic workers, and the abundant supply of such workers are factors behind the exploitation of migrants.

In the sex industry, for example, poor regulation and stigmatization could lead to an increase of abusive labor practices, said IOM spokesperson Niurka Pineiro in a press briefing in Geneva January 6. "In this sense, growing consumer demand is undoubtedly one of the factors" that drives forced labor in the sex industry, he said.

Racism, xenophobia and prejudice against foreign workers were also cited as important factors in fueling trafficking in illegal labor. "The racially/ethnically different worker is not perceived as an equal human being and so can be used and abused in ways that would be impossible in respect to workers of the same race/ethnicity," Pineiro said.

Clients of sex workers in Denmark, Thailand, India and Italy were interviewed for the research, as were employers of domestic workers in Sweden, Thailand, India and Italy.

The IOM is an intergovernmental organization of 103 members "committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society," according to its mission statement. The United States is among the founding members.

Following is an excerpt from the IOM press briefing:

(begin excerpt)

International Organization for Migration
Press Briefing Notes -- 06 January 2004
by Niurka Pineiro

Geneva -- Migration Research Series -- Is Trafficking in Human Beings Demand Driven?

This new IOM publication presents the findings of a pilot study and ongoing research on employer demand for domestic workers in private households, and consumer demand for commercial sexual services in selected European and Asian countries. The authors, Bridget Anderson, University of Oxford and Julia O'Connell Davidson, University of Nottingham coordinated the research within two sectors where labour/services of trafficked persons are known to be subject to exploitation: prostitution and domestic work.

The research suggests that three related factors are key to explaining the exploitative conditions experienced by many migrant domestic and sex workers: (a) the unregulated nature of the labour market segments in which they work; (b) the abundant supply of exploitable labour and (c) the power and malleability of social norms regulating the behaviour of employers and clients.

The report states that one of the most visible developments in the sex industry over the past two decades has been its rapid expansion and massive diversification. So, they question, does the expansion of this market fuel trafficking? There is no automatic relationship between consumer demand and any particular or specific form of employment relation in the sex industry. In theory, demand for any given commercial sexual service can just as well be met by someone working independently in good conditions as by someone subject to abusive and slavery-like conditions. And yet there are some fairly obvious reasons to expect that the rapid expansion of a market that is poorly regulated, widely stigmatized and partially criminalized will be associated with an increase in the incidence of abusive labour practices. In this sense, growing consumer demand is undoubtedly one of the factors contributing to the phenomenon of forced labour in the sex industry.

The research was carried out through interviews with employers of domestic workers in Sweden, Thailand, India and Italy (and subsequently with expatriate employers in Hong Kong and Thailand), and with clients of sex workers in Denmark, Thailand, India and Italy. The study also includes interviews with non-employers and non-clients. Just under half of the men interviewed, who confirmed they had paid for sex, reported having bought sex from a foreign prostitute (either at home or abroad). The findings highlight that clients are not a homogeneous group regarding the choice between migrant and local sex workers. A 27-year-old Thai government employee interviewed for the study said, "I prefer Thai sex workers because I feel more comfortable with them, and I don't feel proud of myself if I go with migrant sex workers. Socially it is looked down to be with Burmese sex workers because they work in particular types of establishments which are lower, and friends look down on it. Poorer men have to go to migrant workers because they are cheaper."

On the employment of a domestic worker, the report states that this is often taken for granted and, unlike paying for sex, it is not generally perceived as the outcome of an individual, moral choice. Forty-five per cent of all respondents stated that employing domestic workers meant they could go out to work and for 47 per cent of those who had children under 10, having childcare available when needed was an important reason for employing domestic help. In interviews conducted with expatriates living in Bangkok and Hong Kong, women who were stay at home mothers were very conscious of the fact that, once back home they would be unlikely to employ full-time household help, let alone have somebody living in. A British woman living in Hong Kong said, "I really think I should do it all myself. To be honest my sister has three children in England and she didn't have help. So, I mean I could do without a helper because I don't work. I could, but I don't have to." The survey revealed that employment in private households is almost always heavily segmented according to gender, age and race. Migrants occupy different positions in labour market hierarchies depending on their country or region of origin, their immigration status, their gender, skin colour and other local factors. In all the countries where data was collected, certain groups or nationalities were generally preferred by employers. In India, tribal Christians were typically considered desirable employees because they are stereotyped as professional, hardworking and disciplined. In Sweden, there was a preference for girls from the Baltic States because they need social and economic aid. Meanwhile, in Thailand, the Burmese were stereotyped as particularly desirable as domestic workers. Thai respondents characterized Burmese workers as being cheap (82%), hardworking (82%) and obedient (69%), and regarded these as main qualities for a domestic worker. When employers were asked what advantages they perceived in employing migrant domestic workers, they cited flexibility in terms of numbers of hours and when those hours are worked, cooperativeness and labour retention.

In their conclusions and recommendations the authors state that commercial sexual services and domestic workers, are directly related to questions of supply or availability. They point to the fact that there is no absolute or given level of demand for the services of lap-dancers in any society, and before the relatively recent advent of lap-dance clubs, no one bemoaned their absence. Prevailing social norms also play an important role in shaping people's behaviour as consumers in both legal and illegal segments of the commercial sex market, and as employers of domestic workers. As far as trafficking is concerned, it is also important to recognize that racism, xenophobia and prejudice against ethnic minorities make it much easier for clients and employers to convince themselves that such practices are justified. The racially/ethnically different worker is not perceived as an equal human being and so can be used and abused in ways that would be impossible in respect of workers of the same race/ethnicity.

Copyright © 2003 IOM. All rights reserved. Questions and comments: [email protected]

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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