On 11 September, the OSCE launched their new publication “Out of the shadows”. The publication explores the link between the risk of trafficking and belonging to a minority, including national minorities. During the launch event as well as in the publication the consequences, such as poverty, social exclusion, previous experience of other forms of violence such as sexual abuse or domestic violence, prior involvement in the juvenile justice or child welfare system, lack of access to education, employment, and housing were discussed as factors which traffickers exploit for their own benefit.
The report highlights the impact that racial and/or ethnic discrimination can have on the response to human trafficking. Law enforcement often believes that in order to uphold the principle of non-discrimination, everyone needs to be treated exactly the same. However, this can lead to policies ignoring specific vulnerabilities. During the launch, different speakers, including Tirhas Habtu from our member organisation LEFO IBF in Austria, elaborated on why it is important to pay special attention to minorities and added a practical perspective.
However, the report also highlights issues that start way before specific policies regarding human trafficking come into play. It addresses the issue of systemic racism and ethnic discrimination and the lack of political representation of minorities, leading to a higher susceptibility of minorities to human trafficking.
The report is a joint publication by the OSCE Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB) & OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)