The global movement of women has created a panic across borders in the 21st century, when it is suspected that they have been forced against their will to engage in sex work, which has manifested in the formation of what has come to be called the Rescue Industry . Governmental agencies and efforts have been directed at ‘rescuing’ victims of trafficking from an assumption of coercion, force and victimhood.
However, a closer look at the profiling of these individuals, the process of victim construction and the problematization of trafficking being equated to prostitution reveals that a significant number of so called ‘rescued’ women, do not wish to engage in or have no other choice in employment other than sex work and return to it soon after being released or ‘rescued’.
Who are the ‘rescuers’ and what are their motivations to rescue women who do not wish to be rescued? What is their role in immigration policy and law enforcement? Indeed, how does ‘rescue’ serve the purposes of immigration?
This thesis aims to explore and question the foundation of humanitarian governance through what has come to be called the ‘rescue industry’ – the plethora of organizations, governmental, non-governmental, international and humanitarian agencies and associated employees who are engaged in activities to rescue and rehabilitate these ‘victims’ of trafficking.
An analysis of the reasons behind the activities of these efforts demonstrates that motivations range from curbing female and irregular migration, providing employment for a certain social elite (referred to in Laura Augustin’s work later), to links with capitalism and profit. The visa and residence programs of the USA and the UK targeting victims of trafficking will be analyzed as will the websites of several anti-trafficking organizations, to illustrate the language, content and rationale behind their efforts and whether these ‘efforts’ are indeed as altruistic as they seem.
It is hoped that uncovering the role of personal agency and choice in these women’s lives in light of broader structural factors, such as economic and social disadvantage. will demonstrate that a significant proportion of ‘rescue’ efforts are unwarranted, and that a form of self serving humanitarianism is often in operation due to agendas other than the ‘victim’ in mind.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW
1.3 METHODOLOGY
1.4 AREAS OF FOCUS
CHAPTER 2: THE NEXUS OF IMMIGRATION, TRAFFICKING AND RESCUE
2.1 THE CASE OF THE USA
2.2 PARALLELS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
2.3 DISCREPANCIES WITHIN THE US MODEL
CHAPTER 3: DECONSTRUCTING THE TRAJECTORY OF RESCUE TO SELF SUFFICIENCY
3.1 RIGHTS VESUS RESCUE
3.2 SEX WORKER ACCOUNTS OF RESCUE
CHAPTER 4: ADULTERATED HUMANITARIANISM
CHAPTER 6: A SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES
Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the foundation of the "rescue industry" within humanitarian governance, specifically questioning how anti-trafficking efforts serve the purposes of immigration policy, capitalism, and state control rather than the genuine rights of women. By analyzing the "raid-rescue-rehabilitate" model, the research seeks to uncover how these efforts often operate based on personal agendas and geopolitical interests while ignoring the personal agency and economic realities of migrant sex workers.
- The intersection of humanitarian governance, immigration policy, and the "rescue industry."
- The critique of "consumer humanitarianism" and the role of celebrity/media in shaping the rescue narrative.
- The investigation of capitalist motivations and profit models within humanitarian aid and rescue initiatives.
- The role of individual agency and the rights-based perspective of sex workers versus the abolitionist approach.
Excerpt from the Book
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
The global movement of women has created a panic across borders in the 21st century, when it is suspected that they have been forced against their will to engage in sex work, which has manifested in the formation of what has come to be called the Rescue Industry (Augustin, 2007). Governmental agencies and efforts have been directed at ‘rescuing’ victims of trafficking from an assumption of coercion, force and victimhood. However, a closer look at the profiling of these individuals, the process of victim construction and the problematization of trafficking being equated to prostitution reveals that a significant number of so called ‘rescued’ women, do not wish to engage in or have no other choice in employment other than sex work and return to it soon after being released or ‘rescued’. Who are the ‘rescuers’ and what are their motivations to rescue women who do not wish to be rescued? What is their role in immigration policy and law enforcement? Indeed, how does ‘rescue’ serve the purposes of immigration? This thesis aims to explore and question the foundation of humanitarian governance through what has come to be called the ‘rescue industry’ – the plethora of organizations, governmental, non-governmental, international and humanitarian agencies and associated employees who are engaged in activities to rescue and rehabilitate these ‘victims’ of trafficking.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the "rescue industry" as a response to global migration and sex work, framing it as a critical subject for analyzing humanitarian governance and state agendas.
CHAPTER 2: THE NEXUS OF IMMIGRATION, TRAFFICKING AND RESCUE: This chapter analyzes how the USA and UK incorporate trafficking into formal immigration policies, often prioritizing border control and prosecution over victim protection.
CHAPTER 3: DECONSTRUCTING THE TRAJECTORY OF RESCUE TO SELF SUFFICIENCY: This chapter investigates the economic motivations behind sex work and how the "rescue industry" utilizes vulnerable bodies for institutional benefit.
CHAPTER 4: ADULTERATED HUMANITARIANISM: This chapter explores the role of media, celebrity activism, and consumer culture in creating a "cult of personality" around rescue efforts, often for financial gain.
CHAPTER 6: A SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES: This chapter considers labor-based approaches to trafficking and sex work, arguing for the empowerment of workers over the existing "shelter" and "rescue" models.
Keywords
Rescue Industry, Humanitarian Governance, Sex Trafficking, Migration, Prostitution, Victim Construction, Consumer Humanitarianism, Capitalism, Human Rights, Labor Rights, Immigration Policy, Border Control, Personal Agency, Self-Interest, Abolitionism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic work?
The work fundamentally explores the "rescue industry"—a network of government, NGO, and humanitarian agencies—and questions whether their interventions in the field of sex trafficking are truly driven by altruism or rather by immigration control, profit, and political agendas.
What are the central thematic areas?
The core themes include the intersection of humanitarianism and state control, the commodification of rescue through "consumer humanitarianism," the denial of agency to sex workers, and the critique of carceral-style rehabilitation programs.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The objective is to critically investigate the reasons behind the formation of the "rescue industry," specifically assessing the correlation between humanitarian assistance and geopolitical interests, such as managing illegal migration.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The thesis utilizes a critical qualitative analysis of secondary sources, including peer-reviewed articles, government reports, NGO websites, and individual accounts, grounded in security/risk studies and feminist migration theory.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body examines national models of anti-trafficking (specifically the US and UK), the economic links between NGOs and profit, and the role of celebrity-driven narratives in sanitizing and marketing the "rescue" mission.
How would you characterize the keywords of the work?
The keywords reflect a focus on the structural, political, and economic aspects of humanitarianism, emphasizing the tensions between state security agendas and the human rights of migrant sex workers.
What is the significance of the "T-visa" in the US context?
The T-visa is analyzed as a prosecutorial tool that, while framed as a humanitarian benefit for trafficking victims, is deeply tied to the victim's willingness to assist law enforcement, thereby functioning primarily as a mechanism for immigration enforcement rather than welfare.
How does the "rescue industry" in the UK differ from the US?
While both rely on law enforcement, the UK model is noted for its "Competent Authority" approach and lack of residence permits, leading to higher levels of insecurity for individuals who do not fit the narrow legal criteria of an "ideal victim."
What does the author conclude regarding NGO accountability?
The author concludes that many NGOs operating within the "rescue industry" face deep conflicts of interest, often driven by a need for sustainable funding, which leads them to perpetuate narratives of victimhood that may not align with the needs or agency of the women they claim to serve.
- Quote paper
- Davina Ray (Author), 2015, The business of rescue. Political strategy, immigration policy and profit, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/366011
