Human Trafficking and Natural Disasters: An Empirical Analysis

• Main Author: Boria, Maria Gabriella
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Boston College 2016
• Subjects: human trafficking; natural disasters; slavery; forced labor; exploitation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:106784

Thesis advisor: S Anukriti === Thesis advisor: Robert Murphy === It is widely believed that natural disasters increase human trafficking from the affected region or country; however, credible analyses of the causal relationship are lacking. This paper estimates the causal effect of natural disaster occurrence on economic factors and the probability of human trafficking. I find that there is a significant, positive effect of disasters—as measured by an indicator for occurrence as well as disaster intensity—on human trafficking. Moreover, disasters negatively impact economic outcomes, suggesting a potential mechanism through which disasters indirectly affect trafficking. These findings are policy-relevant for anti-human trafficking and disaster relief organizations as they provide empirical evidence for a previously hypothesized relationship and may help prioritize the underemphasized rise in trafficking during times of inevitable chaos. === Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2016. === Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. === Discipline: Arts and Sciences Honors Program. === Discipline: Economics.