Sinai Trafficking: Origin and Definition of a New Form of Human Trafficking

Abstract

The phenomenon that is coined "Sinai Trafficking" started in 2009 in the Sinai desert. It involves the abduction, extortion, sale, torture, sexual violation and killing of men, women and children. Migrants, of whom the vast majority are from Eritrean descent, are abducted and brought to the Sinai desert, where they are sold and resold, extorted for very high ransoms collected by mobile phone, while being brutally and "functionally" tortured to support the extortion. Many of them die in Sinai. Over the last five years broadcasting stations, human rights organisations and academics have reported on the practices in the Sinai and some of these reports have resulted in some confusion on the modus operandi. Based on empirical research by the authors and the analysis of data gathered in more than 200 recorded interviews with Sinai hostages and survivors on the practices, this article provides a definition of Sinai Trafficking. It argues that the term Sinai Trafficking can be used to differentiate a particular new set of criminal practices that have first been reported in the Sinai Peninsula. The article further examines how the new phenomenon of Sinai Trafficking can be framed into the legal human trafficking definition. The interconnectedness of Sinai Trafficking with slavery, torture, ransom collection, extortion, sexual violence and other severe crimes is presented to substantiate the use of the trafficking framework. The plight of Sinai survivors in Israel and Egypt is explained to illustrate the cyclical process of the trafficking practices especially endured by Eritreans, introduced as the Human Trafficking Cycle. The article concludes by setting out areas for further research.

Identifying trafficked migrants and refugees along the Balkan route. Exploring the boundaries of exploitation, vulnerability and risk

“…In some cases, this also involved extortion that may cumulatively have constituted human traffickingfor example, when smugglers isolated an individual and raped them to pressure family members (either traveling with them or in the home country) to pay money for their release and/or safe passage. This is similar to experiences reported in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt [33,35]. Both female and male migrants/refugees reported having been sexually assaulted as well as subjected to other forms of violence.…”

The European Union and the Background of the Global Compacts

“…They also agreed to widely communicate to the youth about the dangers of such hazardous journeys and against the trafficking networks”. Since April 2017, mass medias have shown the slavery markets in Libya, even though scholars had known for years about the existence of these dynamics (for example, the situation of Eritreans in the Sinai desert: Van Reisen and Rijken, ).…”

Veiligheid en welzijn van Eritreeërs in het geding?

“…Deze 'service' kan gedefinieerd worden als dwangarbeid: mensen worden tewerkgesteld in de land-of mijnbouw, infrastructuur of bij defensie (Connell, 2012;Tronvoll, 2009, UNHCR, 2015Weber, 2015;UNHRC, 2016 1 ). Bij weigering vinden er represailles plaats tegen de weigeraar en diens familie (A/HRC/32/47; Van Reisen & Rijken, 2015). Deze nationale dienstverlening en de mensenrechtensituatie zijn voor velen redenen het land te verlaten (Van Reisen & Estefanos, 2017).…”

“…Ook Eritreeërs worden tijdens de migratie vaak slachtoffer van martelingen, kidnapping en mensenhandel door afpersing door criminele bendes en criminele organisaties. In de Sinaï worden Eritreeërs vastgehouden op locaties waar zij worden gemarteld en verkracht en gedwongen familieleden en kennissen te vragen losgeld te betalen voor hun vrijlating (Van Reisen et al, 2012;Van Reisen et al, 2014;Van Reisen & Rijken, 2015). Deze praktijken, die gekwalificeerd kunnen worden als vorm van mensenhandel, hebben zich nu -Janssen, 2017).…”