The Human Trafficking Cycle: Sinai and Beyond

TLDR: Human trafficking in the Sinai started in 2009 and involves the abduction, extortion, sale, torture, and killing of men, women and children as discussed by the authors, which is referred to as human trafficking cycle.

Abstract: Inteational Pblic aw & Plitics (Intational) rim nal aw Enironm etal aw Lbour aw Halth aw Contutional & dm intrative aw um an Rghts & um antarian aw Euopean aw Edcation aw Cabbean aw Tenology & aw Pivate aw olf Lgal Pulishers aw sries: Human trafficking in the Sinai started in 2009 and involves the abduction, extortion, sale, torture and killing of men, women and children. This book follows from the publication “Human Trafficking in the Sinai: Refugees between Life and Death” (2012). It describes how refugees are abducted and brought to the Sinai and identifies the modus operandi of the trafficking. It also looks at what happens after the hostages are released and where they go. This book introduces the term ‘trafficking cycle’ to describe how refugees become trapped in a vicious cycle of detention, exploitation and abuse, or take risks that may lead to tragedies such as the shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa on 3 October 2013. It also portrays how Sinai survivors remain owners of their own history and keepers of their own dignity. The book is based on interviews with hostages and survivors of the trafficking in the Sinai and others.

Full text

The Human Trafcking Cycle:
Sinai and Beyond
Brussels, 4 December 2013
Prof Dr Mirjam van Reisen
Meron Estefanos
Dr Conny Rijken
a

The Human Trafcking Cycle: Sinai and Beyond [Draft]
MEH van Reisen, M Estefanos, and CRJJ Rijken
Published by
aolf Legal Publishers (WLP)
PO Box 313, NL - 5060 AH Oisterwijk
E-mail: info@wolfpublishers.nl, www.wolfpublishers.com
Cite as: van Reisen, M; Estefanos, M; & Rijken, C (2013) The Human Trafcking Cycle:
Sinai and Beyond [Draft], Wolf Legal Publishers, Oisterwijk
Draft version
This is a draft version of the book to allow a discussion of its content so that errors can be
removed. A nal version will be published in January 2014.
This publication is part II in a series of publications by the same authors, the rst being:
Human Trafcking in the Sinai: Refugees between Life and Death
(Wolf Legal Publishers, 2012).
Guest author
EPNM Borgman (Chapter 1)
Contributors
Selam Kidane (Poem), Tekle M Woldemikael (Prose), Joëlle Stocker (Chapter 2, last narra-
tive), Ghirmai Negash (Poem), Gabriel Guangul (Poem), Wangui Wa Goro (Poem)
Translators
Bealfan Tesfay H (from Tigrinya), Amanuel Asmelash (from Tigrinya), Sigal Rozen
(from Hebrew)
Photographs
Meron Estefanos, Karin Keil, Sigal Rozen
Cartoon
© Harm Bengen, www.harmbengen.de
Editor
Susan Sellars-Shrestha
Disclaimer (Chapter 2): All characters in chapter 2 are ctitious, but based on real
characters and the real testimonies of Sinai survivors and refugees.
General disclaimer
For security reasons and because of limited access to the Sinai region, it was not possible to crosscheck all
information provided by the refugees in the interviews. Interviews were provided by interviewees who were
distressed. For these reasons it is possible that some of the information given might not be accurate. If you have
additional information, or believe that the information presented in this report is (partly) incorrect, please
inform the authors. Further scientic research including data collection on the ground is required to verify
the practices described in this report. To improve the readability some of the statements of the refugees were
slightly amended and to ensure the safety of those interviewed some names and other identifying characteristics
have been changed.
Neither the individual contributors, researchers, translators, editors, system operators, developers, nor the
sponsors of this report, nor anyone else connected to the realisation or publication of this report, take any
responsibility for the results or consequences of the publication of this report or for the uses or adaptation of
any of the information (or possible disinformation) contained in this report. Nothing contained in this report
should be construed in any way as a legal opinion.
© Tilburg University/EEPA, 2013

This book is dedicated to 3-year old Lamek, whose mother died in a Sinai
torture house, and to 1-year old Ra’ee, who was born in a Sinai torture house, and to
all who perished in the Sinai, or at Lampedusa or somewhere else along the route. May
there always be hope.
RIP angel
by Selam Kidane, 6 October 2013
I wonder what she called you, little one?
Your precious Mama...
Maybe she called you Berhan? ... my light
Or did she call you Haben? ... my pride
She may have called you Qisanet... after rest she yearned
Or were you Awet? ... Victory ...
Tell me little one did she name you after her hope?
Or her aspirations ... her dream?
Did she call you Amen as end to her prayers?
Did she name you after the saints your Grandma prayed to?
or were you named afther the brother she lost in prison?
Maybe after her father long gone?
Did she name you ... Sina ... after the desert she crossed?
Or Eritrea ... the land she reluctantly left...?
Perhaps she named you for the land you were to inherit?
Tell me little one what did you precious Mama call you?
... For I can’t bear you being called number 92...
Available at: http://www.asmarino.com/writers-corner/1873-rip-angel#addcomments
Requiem
by Tekle M. Woldemikael, November 2013
…We will dice and slice the causes of this tragedy endlessly. Let us not go there yet. Not
yet, it is too early. It is not even the past. I do not want to go there yet and I want you to
stay with them, stay with these young people for a moment, and feel their fears and the
horror of their last minutes on this earth. Do not dismiss them as dead yet for in my
mind, in our collective mind, they still are here in the waters, they are here, drowning,
drowning, drowning; gasping, gasping for air; swallowing, swallowing the salt water;
gripping, gripping for something solid for anything that can give them safety, life.

V
About the authors
Meron Estefanos
Based in Sweden, Meron Estefanos is a human rights activist, journalist and
radio presenter for Radio Erena (www.erena.org). She is also co-founder of the
International Commission on Eritrean Refugees in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2011,
Ms Estefanos received the Dawit Isaac Award. She is co-author of the book Human
trafcking in the Sinai: Refugees between life and death (Wolf Legal Publishers, 2012).
meron.estefanos@gmail.com
Mirjam van Reisen
Prof Dr Mirjam van Reisen is Professor of International Social Responsibility
at Tilburg University, Endowed Chair in honour of Marga Klompé (Tilburg
School of Humanities). Mirjam van Reisen is the founding director of Europe
External Policy Advisors (EEPA), a research centre of expertise on European
Union external policy based in Brussels. She is a member of the Dutch
Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) and Chair of the Commission
Development Cooperation (COS). In 2012, she was awarded the Golden
Image Award by Liberian President HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her support
to women in peace building. Mirjam van Reisen has authored several books
including Window of Opportunity: EU development cooperation after the end
of the Cold War (Africa World Press, 2009), EU ‘Global Player’ (International
Books, 1999), and De verbeelding van Marga Klompé (Klement, 2012). She is
co-author of Human trafcking in the Sinai: Refugees between life and death (Wolf
Legal Publishers, 2012).
M.vanReisen@uvt.nl
Conny Rijken
Dr Conny Rijken is Associate Professor of European and International Law at
the International Victimology Institute Tilburg (Intervict) Tilburg University,
the Netherlands. She undertook her PhD on the prosecution of those involved
in trafcking in persons from a European perspective and has conducted
numerous research projects and published extensively in this eld. In addition,
she is specialised in European criminal law and human rights law. She is co-
author of Human trafcking in the Sinai: Refugees between life and death (Wolf
Legal Publishers, 2012).
c.r.j.j.rijken@uvt.nl
If you believe there are any errors in this publication or you would like to make
comments or provide additional information, please contact the authors.