The interface between trafficking in persons and culture

Culture may impact on trafficking in persons cases in a variety of ways. This is not surprising, as often victims or perpetrators, or both, come from different cultures than that of the majority population. The reasons for this lie in the centrality of vulnerability to the trafficking process. ² Often victims come from foreign populations or ethnic minorities which tend to be particularly vulnerable to trafficking. ³ Sometimes perpetrators, too, come from foreign or minority cultures which are not fully integrated into the larger society. ⁴ In such cases, sometimes the minority culture even endorses their actions as part of its cultural traditions. This dissonance between cultures may also transpire when the majority society has, over time, changed its system of values, though traditional practices continue to be followed in various enclaves.