Overview: Countering transnational organized criminal enterprises, including trafficking of humans for sexual and labor exploitation, is a critical goal of the U.S. government. Central Asia represents a global “hot spot” for human trafficking. Yet, accessibility difficulties due to political, economic, and social (e.g., corruption) issues severely limit human trafficking research in the area. Focusing on Kyrgyszstan, the Research Question guiding this study is: What are the most effective ways to disrupt illicit human trafficking supply networks in a global human trafficking hot spot? To answer this question, we are investigating:
- Unique factors associated with both labor and sex trafficking, including: recruitment, exit, and follow-up (post trafficking) circumstances associated with each;
- Domestic vs. international trafficking processes are examined, as well as
- Perpetration dynamics (e.g., criminal networks)
Context: Kyrgyzstan (i.e., the Kyrgyz Republic [KR]) is considered the most politically open and democratic country in Central Asia1. Yet, it is also a source, transit, and (to a lesser degree) destination country for severe forms of human trafficking (HT), including sex and labor trafficking2-4. KZ is surrounded by Tier 3 countries including Russia, China, Iran, and Afghanistan—all reknown for their human rights abuses.
In KR, a change of political power in 2010 resulted in political instability, ethnic tension, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people8. Since then, external migration has grown exponentially9. Poverty, unemployment, ethnic tensions, mass migration and an unstable political situation have created extreme vulnerability—and thus, favorable conditions for human trafficking. The country’s geographical position provides a seamless transit corridor between Asia and Europe used to channel trafficking victims. The KR government is critiqued for a number of failures, including: unwillingness to monitor migration patterns for evidence of trafficking, inadequate anti-sex trafficking efforts, and lack of victim protection services10-12. Corruption exacerbates the spread of HT in KR, with law enforcement believed to be complicit in the trafficking industry13.
Partnership: This investigation brings together the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Creighton University, and numerous Kyrgyzstan institutions (i.e., International Higher School of Medicine, Ministry of Health, crisis centers).
Dr. Rochelle L. Dalla (principal investigator), Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Dr. Sarbinaz Bekmuratova (co-investigator), Department of Occupational Therapy, Creighton University
Marina Duishenkulova, Vice Department Head, Department of Public Health, International Higher School of Medicine
Baktygyl Imankulova, Instructor, Department of Public Health at the International Higher School of Medicine
Long term goal: Creation of a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to aid official reporting of human trafficking crimes; expansion of study to Eastern European former USSR countries.
Funding: University of Nebraska, Layman New Directions Program Mechanism