The Effect of Human Trafficking on Human Security: The Case of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
he issue of people’s migration specifically human trafficking is very dynamic across the world
and the worst in developing countries including Ethiopia. As a result, human trafficking is one of
the problems that endanger human security starting from the origin countries up to destinations.
This study was, thus, aimed at analyzing the effect of human trafficking on human security in
Oromia Regional State. The study has specific objectives of assessing the prevalence and
experiences of victims of human trafficking and actors involved in human trafficking, identifying
the gaps between the legal frameworks and its implementation on human trafficking in the
region, identifying the causes of trafficking in the region and assess the main challenges
encountered to protect trafficking in the study area. To address these objectives, a qualitative
research design was employed, as the researcher needs to explore and describe the effects of
human trafficking in light of human security. To conduct this research, both primary and
secondary data sources were employed. The data from primary sources was gathered using the
qualitative data collection instruments using in-depth interviews, key informant interviews,
observations and focus group discussion with returnees/victims, returnee parents’, community
elders, police officials, legal experts, other concerned government officials. The data was
collected from East and West Hararge, West Arsi, and Jimma Zones of Oromia Region. The data
was analyzed through thematic data analysis. Finally, the results revealed that economic
problems, politico-legal factors, social networks, and socio-cultural factors were the main
pushing factors for human trafficking while pull factors like a better source of income and job
opportunity had their contributions to human trafficking. Besides, migrants in their movement
were exposed to many human security problems in the desert, sea journey as well as in their
destination countries including gross violation of human rights, inhuman treatment, sexual
harassment, thirsty, hunger, physical violence, health problems, etc. In the case of the study
areas, the state failed to implement the international human rights principles and values relevant
to victims of human trafficking due to a lack of capacity, commitment, and good quality of
governance. The study showed that the government made efforts to tackle this serious problem
by taking into consideration the severity of the problem on the human security of the migrants
and the local community through creating awareness, taking legal punishments upon smugglers,
and human traffickers. However, it is not adequate since many actors including migrants
themselves and parents with the cooperation of the smugglers intertwined with poverty and
unemployment opportunities in the study area are aggravating human trafficking in the study
area. To this end, the study recommends adequate job creation and poverty reduction, promoting
legal labor migration through a bilateral agreement with major destination countries and
prosecuting of brokers, traffickers and smugglers were found to be essential to restrict human
trafficking from the study areas. Lastly, looking at the significance of the research outcome, this
study could be valuable for organizations and concerned government offices that are working on
migration and countering human trafficking