+

ICT-Enabled Human

Trafficking for Ransom

Selam Kidane

April 2016

+Tracing the emergence of ICT-

Enabled Human Trafficking for

Ransom

Reisen, van, M., Gerrima,

Z.,Ghilazghy, S.; Kidane, N.; Rijken,

C.; Stam, van, G.,

+Trafficking for Ransom

A new form of Human Trafficking for Ransom emerged in 2009 facilitated by ICT features that enabled the commoditisation of human beings.

It has been as ‘Sinai trafficking’ in reference to the location where it was first observed (Reisen & Rijken 2015)

The objective of the traffickers to benefit and profit from ransom payments

The extortion is achieved by forcing human beings held in captivity to contact relatives, family and friends by mobile phone and demand their support to pay ransoms for the release. The pressure on relatives, family and friends is exacerbated by torture.

The potential threat of the selling of organs for the commercial organ market has compounded the psychological torture and is generally believed by the victims (even if no proof of such direct link is available to date)

+ Many reports identified that in all cases torture was an element of

the modus operandi of human trafficking (ARDC, 2011; Weldehaimot, S. 2011; Humphris, R., 2013; Amnesty International, 2013; Jacobsen, K., Robinson, S., Lijnders, L., 2013; Human Rights Watch, 2014).

Torture was executed for prolonged period of time (often longer than one month and sometimes for over a year) and included electrocutation, beating, hanging, burning, chaining, prolonged exposure to the sun, cruel acts, severe sexual violence, forced drug use, malnutrition, water deprivation, sleep deprivation, light deprivation and threat of killing

Between 25.000 and 30.000 people passed through the Sinai as victims of human trafficking in the period 2009 – 2013 and it is estimated that 20%-33% of the people held captive died as a result of the trafficking (Reisen et. al. 2013)

The studies report consecutive selling in a series of transactions and consecutive amounts of ransoms demanded by different groups of human traffickers (Reisen, et al., 2012, 2013, Human Rights Watch 2013). It is estimated that US$ 600 million in ransoms was collected in the period 2009 – 2013

+Involvement of authorities

The literature refers to involvement of authorities. Reisen et al

(2012, 2013) refer to the involvement of authorities in Eritrea

There is also evidence that suggests facilitation by some

members of the authorities in Sudan and Egypt

The involvement of the Eritrean authorities in human trafficking

has been described by het UN Monitoring Report on Eritrea

and Somalia (2011)

+How ICT is enabling Human

Trafficking1. Intelligence gathering

Information on law enforcing authorities (police, security agents etc) and their plans and activities are being monitored by the Human Traffickers and smugglers and their collaborators and accomplices and information is exchanged within and among the networks using these technologies.

locating, monitoring and tracking refugees being smuggled or trafficked by others

2. Ransom demands and collections

The torture is almost exclusively orchestrated for the objective of extortion with the telephone carrying the pain and humiliation right to the very villages and the homes

ITCs are also used to coordinate the fund raising, collection and transfers of ransoms demanded by the Human traffickers and smugglers. Without the ICTs, there is no way the families and friends of the victims could raise the money demanded by the captors

Availability of mobile money

+Boundary defying challenges

Vulnerable people outside supporting communities and home

countries

Nation – state – based governance systems have been

rendered ineffective

1. In monitoring and evaluation

2. In control and intervention

Fits international and inter continental mafia

1. Mobile money

2. Network of criminals

3. Defying rule of law

+Looking forward

We really need to understand the ‘dark side’ of ICT and data

use more

The discourse regarding migration needs to take the whole

context into account

The use of ICT to promote community resilience is an

opportunity that