Return on Investment: Spending on Combatting Human Trafficking

Abstract

Measuring a return on investment on funds spent in combatting human trafficking is challenging. Firstly, there is inconsistent empirical data that would require combining data from governments, international organizations, NGOs, the media, and academia. Secondly, organizations have differing measuring rules and, at best, are inconsistent or inadequate for sound criminological inquiry. Importantly, the lack of a consistent conceptual understanding of the definition of human trafficking poses challenges in creating a framework for measurement. This chapter attempts to examine the impact that funds to international organizations are intended to make in combatting human trafficking through funding provided for activities or projects or programs. Although investments in anti-trafficking activities have been targeted to developing countries, the question remains as to whether donors get a return on their investments through the projects or programs they fund. There is a considerable gap between what funding is meant for and what it achieves, especially in relation to its contribution to combatting human trafficking. The focus by some destination countries occasionally has an underlying political agenda on migration, but the short project cycles undermine the long-term returns on investments. Further in-depth research is certainly required to evaluate the real return on investments, including on victim support services, conducted in collaboration with donors. As noted by some authors, effectiveness of anti-trafficking initiatives tends not to include trafficked persons, even though they are key recipients of many anti-trafficking programs and policies and could add to the critical knowledge of human trafficking.