Human trafficking in domestic work : a special case or a learning ground for the anti-trafficking field?

Abstract

This Special Issue looks at the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings (THB) in the domestic work sector in six European countries: Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. Contributions to this issue examine cases of severe exploitation in domestic work, analyze the conditions that are prone to exploitation, and explore why such situations of trafficking are not identified and prevented. Domestic work is an example of how gaps in policies (labor, immigration, welfare), social values and norms, and the relational dimension interplay in situations of trafficking. This is the point of departure, the premise, of this Special Issue. Given the peculiar nature of domestic work—being performed in private households and being at the junction of labor market and family—looking at trafficking in this context can contribute to advancing further the understanding of THB. Domestic work presents multifaceted challenges that speak to and inform a better understanding of the various areas and forms of trafficking.