Economic disparities, migration and human trafficking in Europe: empirical evidence and policy perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17811/ebl.15.3.2026.231-243Keywords:
GDP per capita, Immigration, socioeconomic impact, economic disparities, trafficking, migration, European countriesAbstract
This study examines the relationship between national wealth, immigration inflows, and human trafficking across European countries from 2012 to 2022. Higher GDP per capita significantly attracts immigration, which is positively associated with trafficking victimization. Correlation analysis shows strong links between trafficking victims and both immigration (r = +37.4%, p = 0.05) and GDP per capita (r ≈ +42%, p = 0.03). Using two-stage least squares regression, we find that a 1% increase in immigration—instrumented by GDP per capita—raises trafficking victims by 0.87%. Additionally, a 1% rise in criminal convictions reduces victimization by 0.402%. These findings highlight key economic and demographic drivers of trafficking and offer policy-relevant insights for designing effective interventions.
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