Tech Tools for Anticipating Human Trafficking in Archipelago State

Abstract

The current mitigation efforts of human trafficking fail to combat cross-border trafficking in the sea.  On the other hand, most of the studies in human trafficking have not dealt with the context of transporting victims via seaport. This paper attempts to critically discuss the process and consequences of transporting victims of human trafficking via illegal seaport. Part of the objective is to propose compatible tech tools to anticipate potential victims. A qualitative approach was employed since investigating human trafficking in Riau Islands' seaports needs a robust research method. Thus, a case study is selected to focus on a single exit point phenomenon for sending migrant workers who have been identified as a group at high risk of human trafficking. Riau Islands, specifically Bintan Island and Batam Island, were selected as samples of case studies because these are critical locations for sending and repatriating victims. The current study found that an archipelago country like Indonesia deals with multifaceted challenges in combating human trafficking. Moreover, there is a significant shift in human trafficking crime from recruiting to executing due to the cyber world's invention. One unanticipated finding is that social networks and cybercrime have expanded the possibilities for supplying victims. This study contributes to research on human trafficking by introducing tech tools that may help overcome the problems.