Migration and Human Trafficking: A Case Study of the Deceptive Sub-Saharan African Women in Turkey

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, Turkey has experienced a massive increase in sub-Saharan African migrants. According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2021 report on trafficking in Turkey, in 2019, there were 276 victims of human trafficking. This paper examines the issue of human trafficking through the lens of the concept of deceptive trafficking. The cases of eight victimized women trafficked to Turkey from sub-Saharan Africa are examined, and their responses are thematically analyzed using migration theories with a focus on Van Hear’s model. The testimonies of these sub-Saharan African women exploited by human traffickers serve as the foundation for this study. The paper reveals the circumstances that give rise to the practice of human trafficking and the factors that maintain its existence in sub-Saharan African countries. The results highlighted the vulnerability of African women as a target for international and transnational human trafficking.