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Targeting Vulnerabilities ISBN: 978-3-902880-66-6 Turkey, Lebanon Targeting Vulnerabilities International Centre for Migration Policy Development, 2015 Targeting Vulnerabilities Over six-and-a-half million people are internally displaced in Syria, while Turkey, Lebanon, The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation Jordan and Iraq are hosting over four million Syrian refugees. Some of the most vulnerable people among them are affected by one of the most serious of human rights violations: on Trafficking in Persons trafficking in persons. People who have fled within and outside of Syria should be able to Vulnerabilities Targeting set up a new life for themselves safe from the war, and safe from trafficking and exploitation. This Study assesses the impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in the region A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq and presents timely recommendations on how to respond. The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons Trafficking and Refugee Situation on The Impact of the Syrian War ISBN: 978-3-902880-66-6 Targeting Vulnerabilities The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq Prepared by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Vienna - Austria Commissioned and funded by the United States Department of State, Office to Monitor & Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) International Centre for Migration Policy Development • December 2015 Report Author: Claire Healy Research Team: Zaid Khaldoon Adelby, Erica Aiazzi, Vanessa Iaria, Fulya Memişoğlu, Şenay Özden ICMPD Team: Nedaa Amraish, Lukas Gehrke, Melita Gruevska Graham, Elisa Trossero International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Gonzagagasse 1 A-1010 Vienna Austria www.icmpd.org International Centre for Migration Policy Development All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission of the copyright owners. Suggested Citation: ICMPD (2015). Targeting Vulnerabilities: The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons - A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Vienna: ICMPD. This publication was made possible through support provided by the United States Department of State, Office to Monitor & Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) under the terms of Award No. S-SJTIP-14-GR-1022. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Department of State. Layout by Marc Rechdane Printed and bound in Austria by Druck and Graphikservice GmbH - DGS ISBN: 978-3-902880-66-6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 5 Foreword 6 1. Introduction 9 1.1 Terms Used in this Study 14 1.2 Methodology 18 1.3 Literature Review 21 1.4 Legislative Framework 23 1.5 Institutional Framework 39 2. Migration and Trafficking during the Baseline Period 45 2.1 Migration Profile 45 2.2 Trafficking Routes 49 2.3 Extent of Trafficking 53 2.4 Forms of Trafficking 56 3. Displacement Context, 2011-2015 71 3.1 Syrian Internal Displacement and Mobility 71 3.2 Syrian Refugee Movement 77 3.3 Iraqi International and Internal Displacement 85 3.4 Other Refugee, Migrant and Stateless Populations 87 4. Situations of Vulnerability to Trafficking in Persons 91 4.1 General Humanitarian Situation 93 4.2 Legal Status 98 4.3 Child Protection Issues 103 4.4 Child Labour 108 4.5 Early Marriage 112 4.6 Gender-Based Discrimination and Violence 115 4.7 Anti-Trafficking Response 118 4.8 Lack of Migration Alternatives 120 4.9 Impact on the Host Communities 122 5. Impact on Human Trafficking in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq 127 5.1 Trafficking Routes 128 5.2 Extent of Trafficking 131 5.3 Forms of Trafficking 138 Table of Contents 3 6. Conclusions 203 7. Recommendations 213 Annex 1: Field Research 225 Annex 2: Bibliography 239 4 Targeting Vulnerabilities ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ICMPD wishes to thank various people for their contribution to this Study. Special thanks are due to Dr. Claire Healy, the Research Coordinator, for coordinating the research and drafting this report, and to the Country Researchers Zaid Khaldoon Adelby, Erica Aiazzi, Dr. Vanessa Iaria, Dr. Fulya Memişoğlu, and Şenay Özden, for their dedication and commitment in conducting the research in the countries under study and for providing invaluable information and analysis. ICMPD would also like to express its deep gratitude to Prof. Ibrahim Awad, Dr. Elżbieta M. Goździak and Albert Kraler, Peer Reviewers of the Study, for their guidance and useful critiques of the research. A key role was played by the ICMPD project team in coordinating and managing the research activities, without which the completion of this Study would not have been possible. Thanks to Nedaa Amraish, Lukas Gehrke, Melita Gruevska Graham and Elisa Trossero for their continuous support during the implementation of this research. Finally, ICMPD is particularly grateful to all the research informants for this Study from state institutions, non-governmental and international organisations, local authorities, journalists, academics and all the other interlocutors in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey, who kindly shared their knowledge and experiences for this report. Without their generosity and willingness to participate in the research, many of the important findings of this Study would never have come to light. ICMPD hopes that the findings of this Study will contribute to an improvement in the situation of those affected by the Syrian crisis. Acknowledgements 5 FOREWORD Over four years of conflict have seen increasing numbers of people flee their homes in Syria, becoming internally displaced or seeking refuge beyond Syria’s borders. The overwhelming majority of those forced to flee abroad are residing in the neighbouring countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Based on comprehensive research and analysis, Targeting Vulnerabilities examines an often overlooked aspect of the war and refugee crisis: trafficking in persons. This Study is orientated around the research question: What are the effects of the Syrian war and refugee situation on trafficking in persons in Syria and its neighbouring countries? This Study, the first of this kind, examines the patterns and characteristics of internal and cross-border displacement since the war, as well as reception arrangements in the hosting countries. The results of the research on situations of vulnerability to trafficking and on indications of trafficking cases are presented and analysed. The Study is the result of the project Assessment of the Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Crisis on Trafficking in Persons (AIS-TIP), implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and financially supported by the United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP). One of the main conclusions of the research is that much of the exploitation taking place is not carried out by organised transnational groups, but rather involves family members, acquaintances and neighbours. Families and communities displaced by the war are often left with no viable alternatives for survival other than situations that can be characterised as exploitation. The vulnerabilities they are experiencing therefore contribute to the likelihood of both exploiting and being exploited. The key factors influencing these vulnerabilities are related to the humanitarian crisis itself and to difficulties experienced in obtaining and maintaining legal residence status and authorisation to work in the hosting countries. In addition, in a context where, as a result of the Syrian war, Turkey now hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, and Lebanon has the highest proportion of refugees in its population of any country, host communities, as well as displaced people, are becoming increasingly vulnerable. Therefore, we call on state and non-state organisations, at national and international level, to respond to the research findings and contribute to the implementation of the recommendations. These include specific anti-trafficking measures, more 6 Targeting Vulnerabilities general humanitarian issues, improving child protection and women’s rights, and targeting particularly vulnerable groups, as the new UN Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge. We believe that combating trafficking is an integral component of the humanitarian response to war and displacement. In the context of the Syrian war and refugee crisis, addressing vulnerabilities to trafficking, protecting trafficked people and prosecuting traffickers is not only part of our responsibility to address the trafficking phenomenon, it will also help to alleviate the desperate situations of these people in general, contributing to ensuring their safety, recovery, rehabilitation and the prospects of living lives free from violence and free from exploitation. Gabriela Abado Acting Director General ICMPD Foreword 7 1 INTRODUCTION The conflict and violence in Syria since 2011 have caused massive loss of life and human suffering, as well as a complex displacement crisis. Four of Syria’s neighbouring states are the most important hosting countries worldwide for refugees from the war-torn country. As of the end of September 2015, there are almost four million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq alone, whose registration is active with the UN High Commission
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