Page 117 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Human trafficking victim service providers

Figure 1. Barriers to help-seeking of the victim (n =19)

abuse, which can hinder their healing and integration. As
Participant 1 explained, “in our intervention, we assume
that all cases are different, so all must be analyzed from
Prevention and information an individual perspective and also be based on the needs
Educational support
Access to education of each situation. One of the great differences has to do
Specialized services
Access to the labor market with trust; in our experience, it is more difficult to establish
Mental health care a relationship of trust with a victim of trafficking than in
Social support
Legal support other situations.”
Having someone to talk to
Knowing one's rights as an immigrant The focus of the intervention is also altered because
Knowing one's rights as a victim of trafficking victims’ heightened safety concerns,
Physical health care vulnerability, and lack of awareness of their rights as
victims—or even the fact that they were victims of HT.
Feeling safe (economic
independence/place to stay) As Participant 15 noted, “these victims have specific
Figure 2. Pyramid of the perceived needs of trafficked people (n = 14) characteristics that differentiate them in most situations
from other victims of crime, are in a situation of greater
absence or partial existence of documentation delays the vulnerability, rarely seek support, and do not identify
beginning of their life project, so reintegration into society themselves as victims of crime. The focus of intervention is
is more complex and combined with post-traumatic stress different from that for victims of domestic violence.”
makes the work of the teams difficult.”
There are also ongoing challenges with the courts and 3.8. Condition of special vulnerability
the length of legal procedures, even with the available One of the three open-ended questions of the e-survey was
assistance network for trafficking victims. Given the global related to defining the “special vulnerability of the victim.”
nature of these crimes, trafficking victims sometimes When it was mentioned, it became clear that participants
disappear from the care providers after returning to their understand these unique vulnerabilities as either personal/
home countries. Participant 4 remarked on this issue: “In individual and/or structural factors that put the victim at
the area of justice: delay in the face of legal obstacles and risk of HT exploitation. However, these vulnerabilities
responses by the authorities in the countries of origin.” may not always be identifiable or quantifiable, and they
They, further, noted “the difficulty in locating them in later do not necessarily apply to every victim. They are defined
moments for procedural steps essential to produce the by a variety of personal, contextual, and situational
proof.” particularities (physical, cognitive, and social), which
Building a trustworthy relationship with victims of differ in origin and characteristics and are not mutually
HT is another key distinction. Participants disclosed exclusive. As Participant 3 noted, “victims who, on account
that establishing a positive relationship with trafficking of their age, mental or physical illness, or lack of knowledge
victims is more challenging than with victims of domestic of the language and customs of the place where they are

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 109 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3215