The Role of Consent in Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is consistently featured on the global political agenda. The Role of Consent in Human Trafficking examines the trafficking of adult female victims for sexual exploitation, specifically focusing on the understanding of consent and its influence in the identification and treatment of trafficking victims.

Jessica Elliott argues that when applied to situations of human trafficking, migration, and sexual exploitation, the notion of consent presents problems which current international laws are unable to address. Establishing the presence of 'coercion' and a lack of consent can be highly problematic, particularly in situations of human trafficking and exploitative prostitution—activities which may be deemed inherently coercive and problematically clandestine.

By examining legal definitions of human trafficking in international instruments and their domestic implementation in different countries, the book explores victimhood in the context of exploitative migration. It argues that no clear line can be drawn between those who have been smuggled, trafficked, or 'consensually trafficked' into a situation of exploitation. This book will be of great use and interest to students and researchers of migration law, transnational criminal law, and gender studies.