Moving Beyond Fragmented Approaches to Human Trafficking? Uganda as a Case Study

Since the Palermo Protocol was adopted in 2000, the international anti-trafficking framework has evolved significantly, drawing on developments in international human rights law. Today, there is a broad normative framework of protection and prevention that responds to human trafficking in diverse contexts. Yet, responses often remain fragmented; they can be a peripheral consideration even in key contexts where human trafficking risk factors are present, such as refugee and internal displacement settings, in conflict-affected regions and in the context of climate and disaster-related displacement. Fragmentation can also allow a criminal justice focused response to dominate, at the expense of attention to the protections found in other international law frameworks, such as international human rights and humanitarian law. Recently, steps have been taken to move beyond these fragmented approaches. This is evident in the work of, among others, UN Special Procedures mandate holders, UNHCR, and the Global Protection Cluster. However, these steps have not been widespread, and have yet to significantly impact global, regional, and domestic responses to human trafficking. Against this backdrop, this article explores responses to human trafficking in forced migration contexts in Uganda. It assesses the extent to which Uganda’s response, through the lens of its approach to refugee protection and internal displacement (where anti-trafficking responses should play a central role), remains fragmented. The analysis, which draws on emerging international and global migration law approaches, highlights the protection gaps arising from fragmented approaches to human trafficking. Ultimately, this article makes the case for moving beyond fragmentation and, instead, integrating the normative resources of human rights, refugee law and anti-trafficking law, policy and practice, in Uganda and elsewhere.