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This chapter addresses human trafficking in light of international criminal law, with a view to considering whether and to what extent it may be characterized, when certain conditions are met, as a crime against humanity. This conclusion may contribute to enhancing international cooperation in this area.

Monitoring trafficking in human beings for sexual or other forms of exploitation is at present difficult because of the lack of common definitions and measuring rules, but also because of a general lack of adequate records of the phenomenon. Reasonable measurement would need to combine law enforcement and NGO sources for a fuller and more complete review of the phenomenon. It is suggested that the Dutch trafficking reporting system be taken as a starting point for developing improved monitoring systems.

During recent years, there has been a boom in information on trafficking in persons. However, reliability of data remains a problem with most data sources. If figures on trafficking are given, they are often based on estimates of the level of trafficking and, usually, no explanation is given on how these figures were calculated. In many cases, they are used for advocacy or fund-raising purposes. Data collection on human trafficking is complicated and reliable data is still difficult to find.

In 2004, IOM organized a conference in Rome to take stock of current research and data on trafficking in persons. This paper briefly presents some of the main points from the discussions which seem to be relevant when thinking about new priorities for research and data collection on trafficking in persons.

This chapter does not focus so much on the empirical aspects of trafficking in human beings, nor does it aim at demonstrating the inadequacy of available statistical data or suggesting the best definition and the most efficient methods for measuring the phenomenon. It examines the problem from a different angle, by reflecting upon the instability that characterizes all knowledge based on empirical research and, particularly, upon the reflexivity of knowledge and social practices. Over the last twenty years, the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings, as well as that of immigration, have been controversial ‘‘objects’’ of measurement, as regards both the number and the characteristics of the individuals at risk and of the victims. This area of study involves a plurality of data at various levels, which frequently, if not always, prove fragmentary and difficult to compare. The following essay examines the main factors behind this phenomenon, factors which cannot all be easily or quickly eliminated, whether in theory or in practice.

Developing a rational and transparent method to estimate the extent of trafficking in human beings is fundamental to understanding the scope of the problem, changes in its occurrence, and its appropriate place on the agenda for law and policy attention. The problems of existing estimates of trafficking are examined, and reasons for the disjunction between these estimates and known cases reviewed. Three methods for understanding and measuring trafficking in human beings are assessed: (1) extrapolating the risk of trafficking from other known risks, (2) using known cases to estimate the universe, and (3) using a network model of human trafficking as an illicit enterprise which reacts to known and measurable pressures. The network approach focuses on understanding the criminal networks that organize to exploit victims, rather than on solely predicting victim counts. Examples of each of these methods are presented in terms of their strengths and limits, and a combined approach is proposed to produce the most accurate picture of human trafficking. It is shown that a good estimation model can be used to document the risk and extent of human trafficking as an illicit enterprise, trends in its occurrence, and the effectiveness of measures design to\break reduce it.

Trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation is a significant issue in the European Union. However, notwithstanding this, data on this phenomenon is scarce and often unreliable in many European Union countries. Furthermore, estimates on the number of victims circulating across Europe are given credibility even though the methodology used to produce them is very rarely explained. This article starts by reviewing the situation on data collection on trafficking in human beings in the 25 EU Member States, providing the reader with an up-to-the-minute report by dividing Member States into three tiers, reflecting the reliability of their data collection systems. Secondly, by using official statistics on victims of trafficking in human beings as a starting point, it aims to present possible estimates of the number of victims in a few selected EU Member States. As a conclusion, some proposals to improve data collection in order to boost the related anti-trafficking policies are suggested.

This chapter contains a short presentation of the methodological decisions (and their reorientations) during the many-year research on trafficking in women and youths in Greece. It focuses on the qualitative aspects of research on this topic. The following issues are addressed: the methods of accumulating material; the verification of findings; the dilemma of generalization or ‘true stories from the field’; the qualitative-quantitative research relations; the shocking passages from the ‘unknown’ to the ‘missing’; the distinction between researcher and research subject.

The development of indicators on violence and related data collection regarding missing and sexually exploited children and trafficking in human beings is essential in preparing and supporting evidence-based policy making in the said areas. At present, however, there is no comprehensive matrix of relevant indicators, characteristics and variables, standardised for the entire EU, regarding the said phenomena. Various research efforts to prepare proper EU monitoring on the matter are described, leading up to a proposal for standardised EU templates and a blueprint for EU-wide collection of integrated statistical information and strategic analysis at both member state and EU (cross-country) level on the phenomena concerned.