Journal on Policy & Complex Systems Volume 3, Issue 2 | Page 152

Victim-Centered Approach for Detection of Human Trafficking Victims
Human Trafficking in the Context of Migration
Defining Migrant Motivations
The motivations of migrants generally fall into two categories : those seeking economic opportunity to improve their quality of life , and those fleeing persecution and conflict ( International Organization for Migration , 2015b ). For this research , we refer to these motivations respectively as “ seeking ” and “ fleeing .” Figure 1 shows 2015 migration data that describe the top countries from which European Union asylum applicants originate . The top three origins — Syria , Afghanistan , and Iraq — are countries in active conflict ( assumed to have a “ fleeing ” motivation ), while the others suffer from significant poverty as well as political instability ( assumed to have a “ seeking ” motivation ). We recognize this is a broad simplification for the complex concept of migrant motivation , but we suggest it is a reasonable abstraction for this research given sparse availability of relevant data .
According to BBC News ( 2016 ), Germany received the highest number of 2015 asylum applicants in the European Union , around 36 % of all applications . This does not include other forms immigration ( e . g ., student and work visas ) or illegal immigration . Of this population , approximately half of these individuals come from conflict countries — 27.2 % from Syria , 13.2 % from Afghanistan , and 9.5 % from Iraq — with the remainder being migrants seeking economic opportunity ( Singleton , Heiermann , & Kierans , 2016 ).
State Immigration Policies
Immigration policies are generally a balance between state economic interests and humanitarian objectives ( Facchini & Mayda , 2009 ). With respect to the former , immigration policies often focus on maximizing the economic benefits of the receiving country . This can take several forms . For example , governments may look to fill gaps in the labor market , at all skill levels , or take on a protectionist posture by limiting
Figure 1 . Top 10 origins of people applying for asylum in the European Union . Data show first-time applicants in 2015 , in thousands . Source : Eurostat data , BBC News 2016 .
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