Human Trafficking: online recruitment - a serious risk to migrants' cyber security in Republic North Macedonia

Ivanova, Elena (2021) Human Trafficking: online recruitment - a serious risk to migrants' cyber security in Republic North Macedonia. In: Human security in navigable spaces: common challenges and new trends. AssIDMer - Cahiers de l'Association Internationale du Droit de la Mer, Napoli, pp. 175-189. ISBN 979-12-5976-142-2

Text G. Bevilacqua - Sicurezza umana negli spazi navigabili (1) (1)-pages-1-8,189-203 Elena Maksimova.pdf Download (525kB)

Abstract

The use of the cyber space to recruit victims of transnational crimes is not a new form of trafficking of human beings or smuggling migrants. It is simply a new weapon in the perpetrators’ armory. New technologies have given a new dimension to the traditional forms of crime, especially organized crime (money laundering, drug sales, the dissemination of child-abuse material and prostitution, beside already mentioned, have all evolved because of new technological developments). All types of cybercrime have the same characteristics – it is easily committed, cheaper, anonymous, it is faster and leaves only digital traces, and – it can be hard to locate.
When it comes to human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, that can easily turn into human trafficking (two types of crime that are in the focus of this research), there are three main internet users - potential victims, clients and traffickers. Traffickers now have an effective and unrestricted means of recruiting their victims. Online employment agencies and marriage agencies can all be lures for victims. Internet chatrooms, too, can be used to “befriend” potential victims. The Internet greatly facilitates human trafficking and has a key impact on the entire human trafficking chain, from recruitment and transportation to accommodation of victims and their exploitation. Recruitment of victims is increasingly taking place online. Traffickers lure victims with promising job or travel ads posted on general advertising sites or distributed through brokerage agencies, international marriage agencies, or dating sites.
Reports from the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) note that seasonal migrants and migrants with unregulated residence, especially those without regular access to the labor market, are particularly at risk of labor trafficking for labor purposes. On the territory of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, the problem is increasing with the migrant crisis, the closure of the Balkan route and the crisis situation due to the pandemic. Those who want to cross our territory, most often get in touch with organized groups for smuggling migrants through the Internet and various applications. This seriously jeopardizes the security of these individuals in cyberspace. The problem of online recruitment of victims of human trafficking is often firstly emphasized by NGOs. Our NGO Open Gate - La Strada, through the project "Opportunity or Exploitation", in cooperation with the European Union and the Council of Europe, as one of the grantees of the joint initiative - "Horizontal Instrument for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022" (Horizontal Instrument II) and works on informing the public about the problem of human trafficking and protection measures with special emphasis on labor exploitation. The aim is to highlight the problem of false promises and job advertises that easily turn into human trafficking. This is a great example of the direction in which the state policy should move in recognizing the real risks of today’s use of the internet The following research will examine the abuse of the internet and cyber space to recruit victims of human trafficking for a variety of purposes, particularly addressing migrants as a vulnerable category

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	Social Sciences > Law
Divisions:	Faculty of Law
Depositing User:	Elena Maksimova
Date Deposited:	06 Dec 2021 08:21
Last Modified:	06 Dec 2021 08:21
URI:	https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/28874

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