Human Trafficking and Syria's Conflict

This assignment investigates the connection between the ongoing conflict in Syria and the rise of human trafficking within the country. Students will conduct secondary research using online articles, journals, reports from organizations like the United Nations, and crime data to analyze this complex relationship. The research will be qualitative, focusing on critical analysis of available information to draw conclusions about the significant impact of conflict on the state of crime in Syria.

Global Disorder

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................2
METHOD........................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
The major focus of the report is on one of the major transnational crime activity that is
human trafficking. It leads to destruction of an individual further leading to affecting the
economy of the country as well. Further, the report ponders on facilitation of human trafficking
in Syria due to prevailing conflicts. The aim of the research is to find the answer to the question
“has the conflict in Syria facilitated human trafficking?”
According to Leong (2016), Transnational organized crime is a kind of organised crime
which is interrelated to cross borders of the nation where individual or a group of people plan to
execute an illegal business venture in other country. The main aim of this group is to instigate
violence and corruption in the nation. The most common form of organized crime includes,
human smuggling, money laundering, human trafficking, cybercrimes, smuggling of humans,
endangered species, weapons and nuclear material etc.
Human trafficking refers to trade of human where they are involved in cohesive activities
most commonly including forced labour, sexual slavery or exploitation on commercial sites. The
activity may also result in forced marriage or leading to extraction of organs such as surrogacy or
ova removal. It violates the rights of the victim restricting free movements from one place to
another. The activity has various ill effect leading to affect the country as it leads to disruption in
free market, draining national assets to other country further restricting the development of stable
society as well.
BACKGROUND
Transnational crime has been an issue since ages as and when a country enters into a war
or argument with another nation. It has a greater interruption the peace and stability of the
country often giving support to bribery, violence and terrorism. Human trafficking is considered
as the fastest growing transnational organized crime in the world. It can also be in the form of
bonded, forced and child labour as well (Bergeron, 2013). Deception and coercion on any person
violates the basic human rights given to every individual as they are forced to provide services to
the traffickers without their will. Another way of exploitation is through indulging in prostitution
and sexual abuse. It is considered as an element of offence.
According to Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, the definition of trafficking is recruiting, transporting, transferring,
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harbouring or receipt of person where threat and coercion, fraud or deception is used to control
the persons basic human right of freedom (What is Human Trafficking? 2017).
Organised crime is used as a strategy by the actors of conflicts in order to achieve their
objectives. The main activity of the crime involves supply of illegal goods and services or
through illegal modes. Conflict act as a reason which instigate organised crime in the country.
However, the reason is not only through the war perspective but to fulfil the requirement of
political capital for the country as well. It leads to erosion of the state in wars. Further, violence
acts as a medium to enter in the competing country.
Involvement of crime leads to political instability, recession, conflicts and wars. It
increases the incidence of corruption as people tend to bribe government officials to facilitate
business transactions without any difficulty across the borders. Moreover, the traffickers are
involved in corruption in order to facilitate their business and avoid any prosecution from the
public. Organised crime emphasise on poverty, inequality and other exclusion factors leading to
positive relationship between crime and conflicts and an increased state of crime in the state. It
acts as a flourishing Clement to the police and other government officials as they get to involve
in these activities since the competitive state tends to pay bribe so that they can conduct the
organised crime in the nation with whom they are having conflicts with (Herbert, 2014).
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Illustration 1: Types of Human Trafficking
Source: About the Problem, 2016

The Syrian civil war is the reason which has instigated organised crime in the country. It
has led to increase in the criminal network and its activities on both the countries involved in
conflict. The government of both Iraq and Afghanistan has gone hopelessly corrupt as it his
become their regular source of finance. There is volatile mix of war, crime and corruption
present in the country.
According to Kempadoo, Sanghera and Pattanaik (2015), The deteriorating condition of
Syria as the civil war continues has also increased the incidents of human trafficking as large
number of women and children. It has become a large destination of human trafficking. Multiple
sources report ISIL continues to force girls and women of Syria to get married with the fighters.
Trafficking has been conducted through Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey for the purpose of
prostitution. There is a major impact on the economy of Syria where they have no longer access
to basic instruments of finance in foreign trade. There is a displacement in more than half of the
population have shifted to other neighbouring countries to avoid the state with the objective to
lead a better and fearless life (Lee, 2013).
METHOD
The aim of the research is to find the answer to the question “has the conflict in Syria
facilitated human trafficking?”
Type of research: It is difficult to find the level of organised crime. However, a research can
help in finding out the exact level. Hence, A secondary research will be conducted where online,
articles, journals and blog posts will be reviewed in order to reach to a specific conclusion.
Collection of data and its Reliability: Assessing the authenticated data can help in getting
better results which includes, reports from United Nations, survey study being made by some
reliable organization etc. It will help in developing better understanding regarding the topic
further contributing to find better conclusion of the study. Further, the conflicts in Syria can be
studied through critically analysing the present articles in the newspapers and through the
journals (Weitzer, 2014). The crime data will help in developing understanding regarding the
level of prevailing crime in the country further providing better picture of the scenario. The data
will then be analysed in qualitative manner. The research method will be effective as it will be
feasible to time and cost and will also give reliable data to the researcher.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that there is a significant impact on conflicts
on state of crime. It is important to analyse the figures through secondary research which will
help the researcher to reach to an effective conclusion.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bergeron, J., 2013. Transnational Organised Crime and International Security: A Primer. The
RUSI Journal. 158(2). pp.6-9.
Herbert, M., 2014. Partisans, profiteers, and criminals: Syria's illicit economy. Fletcher F. World
Aff.. 38. p.69.
Kempadoo, K., Sanghera, J. and Pattanaik, B., 2015. Trafficking and prostitution reconsidered:
New perspectives on migration, sex work, and human rights. Routledge.
Lee, M. ed., 2013. Human trafficking. Routledge.
Leong, A. V. M., 2016. The disruption of international organised crime: an analysis of legal and
non-legal strategies. Routledge
Weitzer, R., 2014. New directions in research on human trafficking. The ANNALS of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science. 653(1). pp.6-24.
Online
What is Human Trafficking?. 2017. [Online] Available through
<https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html>.
[Accessed on 24th October 2017].
About the Problem. 2016. [Online] Available through
<http://humantraffickingcenter.org/problem/>. [Accessed on 24th October 2017].
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