Factors Affecting Human Trafficking in Sistan and Baluchestan Province

Abstract

Human trafficking is one of the most complex forms of organized crime and is shaped by a combination of economic, social, geographic, legal, and institutional factors. Due to its transnational and exploitative nature, it produces serious consequences for social security, victims’ rights, and the rule of law. Sistan and Baluchestan Province is particularly important in this regard because of its extensive international borders, geographic dispersion, location along migration and transit routes, socioeconomic disparities, and the presence of informal cross-border movements. This study aimed to identify and explain the major factors contributing to the emergence and persistence of human trafficking in Sistan and Baluchestan Province and to analyze the interaction among these factors. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach with a focus on the legal, criminological, and social dimensions of human trafficking. The findings indicated that poverty, unemployment, economic insecurity, informal employment, limited public awareness, the vulnerability of women and children, irregular migration, extensive border areas, multiple unofficial routes, insufficient coordination among responsible institutions, difficulties in identifying victims, and the operation of organized criminal networks are among the most important factors contributing to human trafficking in the province. The findings also demonstrated that these factors do not operate independently; rather, they interact and reinforce one another, thereby creating conditions that facilitate the recruitment, transportation, control, and exploitation of victims. The study concludes that an effective response to human trafficking requires a comprehensive and coordinated strategy that simultaneously addresses economic development, reduction of social vulnerability, intelligent border control, victim identification and protection, specialized training of law-enforcement authorities, interagency coordination, and regional cooperation.