ABSTRACT

Trafficking in persons becomes recognised through the identification of victims in countries of transit or, more commonly, countries of destination. Victims of trafficking are the most sought after and most tangible evidence of the practice. As indicated in the previous chapter, since the ‘guesstimates’ of the numbers of victims of trafficking worldwide are in the millions (Raymond 2002), it could be presumed that locating victims would pose few challenges to authorities and activists given the high rates of victimisation. Yet finding victims presents considerable difficulties for various state and non-state actors involved in anti-trafficking campaigns. While trafficking in persons is a phenomenon partly distinguished by the movement of people across borders or within a nation, it is rarely in the movement of people that trafficking is identifiable. Rather, it is through the exploitation that occurs upon arrival that trafficking is manifest.