The Role of Non-State Actors in Shaping Human Trafficking Trends in Conflict-Prone Regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Does International Intervention Do More Harm than Good?

I have to write 4 pages for a literature review adressing this question: 

To what extent do Non-State Actors influence human trafficking rates in conflict-prone regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia? How does the presence of international peacekeeping missions add or detract from those rates? . 

I only have to focus on organized crime and how this relates to that as well adding as       many scholarly research and sources as possible in chicago style . 

I have written down an outline but you can change it if you want.   As well to emphazie this is all a literature review.  

I. Introduction

• A. Background on human trafficking and organized crime
  • Define human trafficking and its connection to organized crime.
  • Overview of trafficking trends in conflict-prone regions, with a focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
  • Importance of studying organized crime’s role in trafficking during conflicts.
• B. Research question
  • To what extent do organized crime networks influence human trafficking rates in conflict-prone regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia?

II. Literature Review

• A. Human trafficking and organized crime: A global overview
  • Review scholarly sources that define the role of organized crime in global human trafficking (Shelley, 2014; Weitzer, 2015).
  • Discuss how trafficking has become a key revenue stream for organized crime networks (Laczko & Gramegna, 2003).
• B. Organized crime in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  • Overview of major organized crime networks operating in conflict-prone regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
  • Specific focus on criminal groups in the Balkans, Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia (Sullivan, 2019; Arsovska, 2014).
• C. Mechanisms of organized crime in human trafficking
  • Discuss how organized crime groups exploit vulnerabilities created by conflicts (e.g., displaced persons, breakdown of law enforcement) (Mendelson, 2018).
  • Analyze their methods, such as smuggling, corruption of officials, and the use of violence and coercion.

III. Theoretical Framework

• A. Organized crime theory
  • Explain organized crime’s role in human trafficking using economic theory—trafficking as a lucrative business model for criminal groups (Shelley, 2014).
  • Use social network theory to explore how criminal networks expand and operate across borders in conflict zones.
• B. Conflict theory
  • Analyze how conflicts exacerbate human trafficking by destabilizing governments and creating opportunities for organized crime to thrive.
  • Discuss power vacuums and the weakening of rule of law, which organized crime exploits in trafficking (Friman & Reich, 2007).

IV. Organized Crime and Human Trafficking in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

• A. Overview of conflict-prone regions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  • Key regions: Balkans, Ukraine, Caucasus, and parts of Central Asia (Moldova, Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh).
  • Highlight socio-political instability conducive to trafficking and criminal activity.
• B. Role of organized crime in these regions
  • 1. The Balkans: Legacy of the Yugoslav wars and the rise of trafficking syndicates.
  • 2. Ukraine and Russia: The trafficking crisis amid political instability and conflict.
  • 3. Central Asia: Cross-border trafficking routes connecting Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
• C. Mechanisms of organized crime involvement
  • 1. Exploitation of vulnerable populations: Refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and minority groups as prime targets for trafficking (Sullivan, 2019).
  • 2. Smuggling routes and infrastructure: Use of conflict zones for setting up trafficking networks.
  • 3. Corruption and law enforcement manipulation: How organized crime networks use bribery and intimidation to evade prosecution (Molland, 2010).

V. Organized Crime and Human Trafficking in Conflict Zones: A Case Study Approach

• A. Case Study: Ukraine
  • Explore how organized crime groups capitalize on the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine to fuel human trafficking (Mendelson, 2018).
  • Analyze the role of local militias and transnational criminal groups in trafficking women for sexual exploitation and men for forced labor.
• B. Case Study: Kosovo
  • Examine the rise of Albanian organized crime during and after the Kosovo conflict, focusing on trafficking of women and children (Shelley, 2014).
  • Analyze the role of transnational criminal groups and their links to other trafficking networks in the Balkans.
• C. Case Study: Moldova
  • Examine Moldova as a hub for organized crime trafficking activities in Eastern Europe, focusing on post-Soviet collapse and continued economic instability (Arsovska, 2014).
  • Discuss organized crime’s role in trafficking Moldovan women for sexual exploitation.

VI. Factors Facilitating Organized Crime’s Role in Human Trafficking

• A. Weak governance and corruption
  • Explore how weakened state institutions and widespread corruption enable organized crime to operate freely in conflict zones (Friman & Reich, 2007).
  • Discuss the role of police and military complicity in trafficking networks.
• B. Cross-border trafficking routes and international smuggling
  • Discuss how organized crime exploits porous borders and inadequate regional cooperation to traffic people across conflict zones (Shelley, 2014).
  • Key trafficking routes through Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
• C. Economic instability and poverty
  • Examine how organized crime thrives in regions where poverty and lack of economic opportunities push individuals toward trafficking networks (Arsovska, 2014).

VII. The Role of International Organizations and Law Enforcement in Combating Organized Crime and Human Trafficking

• A. International efforts to combat organized crime
  • Examine international law enforcement efforts to disrupt trafficking networks in the region (e.g., Interpol, Europol).
  • Review international conventions and agreements targeting human trafficking (Palermo Protocol).
• B. Challenges in law enforcement collaboration
  • Discuss barriers to cross-border law enforcement cooperation and how organized crime takes advantage of these gaps (Friman & Reich, 2007).
• C. Role of international NGOs and civil society
  • Explore the role of non-governmental organizations in aiding trafficking victims and countering the influence of organized crime.

VIII. Conclusion

• A. Summary of findings
  • To what extent do organized crime networks influence human trafficking in conflict-prone regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia?
• B. Policy recommendations
  • Suggest ways to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts and disrupt organized crime networks through international cooperation.
• C. Areas for future research
• Highlight the need for more research on organized crime’s role in trafficking in conflict zones and the effectiveness of international interventions.