Old Practices New Chains: Modern Slavery in Afghanistan

For a topic that conjures vivid images in the public imagination, trafficking in persons remains largely misunderstood as the forcible movement of people. Yet, other disquieting images—the child bride given to resolve a conflict, the “dancing boy” kept as a sex slave, and the household toiling in bonded labour—are also forms of human trafficking. While these examples are drawn from the Afghan context, trafficking in persons (TIP) remains a global scourge with national and regional variations in terms of trends, prevalence, and acceptance.

This report is intended to provide greater understanding of internal and cross-border TIP trends in Afghanistan by: i) clarifying concepts, ii) exploring causes and determinants of trafficking; iii) analysing trafficking patterns and trends; and iv) identifying lessons learned from applied counter-trafficking approaches.