Explore the vast range of titles available.

Every day, a powerful and sophisticated underground business delivers thousands of refugees along the Mediterranean coasts of Europe. A new breed of criminals, risen from the political chaos of post-9/11 Western foreign policy and the fiasco of the Arab Spring, controls it. These merchants of men are intertwined with jihadist organisations such as al Qaeda. Previously, they have prospered from smuggling cocaine from West Africa and kidnapping Westerners. More recently, the destabilisation of Syria and Iraq, coupled with the rise of ISIS, offered them new business opportunities in the Middle East, from selling Western hostages to jihadist groups to trafficking in refugees numbering in the millions, generating billions of dollars annually ... Merchants of Men is based on exclusive access to former hostages, counter-terrorism experts, members of security services, and hostage negotiators actively involved in ransom bargaining and rescue missions, among many others. In a gripping narrative, Loretta Napoleoni describes the brutal processes of kidnapping and human trafficking from a personal and global level, and uncovers the ruthless business models that lie behind them ...

The objectives of the study are to 1) estimate the burden of physical, sexual, and psychological violence among migrants in transit through Mexico to the US; and 2) examine the associations between experiencing violence and sociodemographic characteristics, migratory background, and health status in this vulnerable population. A cross-sectional study combining qualitative and quantitative methods was carried out from 2009 to 2015 with a sample of 12,023 migrants in transit through Mexico to the US. Information on gender (male, female, and transsexual, transgender and transvestite -TTTs-); nationality; health status; migratory background; and experiences with violence was obtained. Fifty-eight migrants participated in in-depth interviews to explore any experiences of violence during their journey. A descriptive analysis was performed and a probit regression model was applied to analyze the factors associated with violence. Qualitative information was analyzed to understand experiences, meanings and responses to violence. The overall prevalence of suffering from any form of violence was 29.4%. Nearly 24% reported physical violence, 19.5% experienced psychological violence, and approximately 2% reported sexual violence. TTTs experienced a significantly greater burden of violence compared to men and women. Violence occurred more frequently among migrants from Central American (30.6%) and other countries (40.0%) than it did among Mexican migrants (20.5%). Experiences involving sexual, physical and psychological violence as well as theft and even kidnapping were described by interviewees. Migrants mistrust the police, migration authorities, and armed forces, and therefore commonly refrain from revealing their experiences. Migrants are subjected to a high level of violence while in transit to the US. Those traveling under irregular migratory conditions are targets of even greater violence, a condition exacerbated by gender inequality. Migrants transiting through Mexico from Central American and other countries undergo violence more frequently than do Mexican migrants. Protective measures are urgently needed to ensure the human rights of these populations.

\"In remote Pakistan, Nick Bright awaits his fate. A successful financial trader, Nick is kidnapped by an Islamic militant group, but with no one negotiating his release, he agrees to an unusual plan. He will earn his own ransom by helping his captors manipulate and master the world commodities and currency markets\"--Amazon.com.

Attacks on Nigerian school students from December 2020 to August 2021 saw hundreds of children abducted and prompted a national outcry at the state's seeming inability to prevent such events. This recent wave of abductions follows other notorious incidents of mass abduction and murder of students, most prominently the cases of the Chibok and Dapchi girls. In assessing the more recent abductions, the authorities and some analysts have made a distinction between contemporary and earlier episodes on the basis of the perceived identity of the perpetrators. While Boko Haram was responsible for the Chibok and Dapchi abductions, \"bandits\" are held responsible for the attacks in 2020-21. This focus on the perpetrators, however, does not explain how attacks on schools fit into the broader political economy of violence and insecurity of contemporary Nigeria, and why kidnapping has become a fast-growing industry. Moreover, the ensuing reaction of largely treating abductions as security problems requiring a greater military and police response, accompanied by the physical fortification of schools, treats the symptoms rather than the cause. As these same security actors implicated in corruption, violence, and the systemic abuse of civilians are not credible providers of security, in the name of safeguarding and rescuing students Nigeria risks becoming ever more militarized and repressive.

Background Refugee populations are forcibly displaced from their homes as a consequence of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Eritreans, initially displaced to the Maiayni camp within the Tigray region, have faced further relocation to Dabat town due to the conflict between the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian government forces. Subsequently, another conflict has arisen between the Amhara Popular Force (Fano) and Ethiopian government forces in Dabat town, disrupting its stability. These collective challenges in the new environment may contribute to the development of symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Currently, there is a lack of available data on these symptoms and their associated variables in Dabat Town. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms, along with associated factors, among Eritrean refugees in Dabat town, northwest Ethiopia. This will provide significant evidence for developing and implementing mental health intervention strategies that specifically address the particular difficulties faced by refugees. Method A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from July 25 to September 30, 2023, in the Eritrean refugee camp in Dabat town. A systematic random sampling method was employed to select a total of 399 Eritrean refugees with 100 response rate. Data were collected using the standard validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire, which included socio-demographic characteristics. Summary statistics such as frequency and proportion were utilized to present the data in tables and figures. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify associated factors, and variables with a p -value ( p  ≤ 0.05) were considered statistically significant factors. Result The findings of this study indicated that 45% (95% CI: 35.6-48.23), 33.6% (95% CI: 31.66–37.45), and 37.3% (95% CI: 35.56–40.34) of the participants had symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, respectively. Sex, age, employment status, lack of food or water, experience of torture or beating, and imprisonment emerged as statistically significant predictors of depression. Employment status, murder of family or friends, rape or sexual abuse, torture or beating, and lack of housing or shelter were statistically significantly associated with anxiety. PTSD was found to be significantly associated with sex, length of stay at the refugee camp, lack of housing, shelter, food, or water, experience of rape or sexual abuse, abduction, employment status, and murder of family or friends. Conclusions and recommendation The results of this study revealed that more than one-third of Eritreans living in the refugee camp in Dabat town had symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. This prevalence is higher than the previously reported studies. Various factors, including age, gender, monthly income, unemployment, experiences of rape or sexual abuse, witnessing the murder of family or friends, being torched or beaten, imprisonment, and deprivation of basic needs such as food, shelter, and water, were identified as contributors to the development of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This research underscores the need for both governmental and non-governmental organizations to secure the provision of essential necessities such as food, clean water, shelter, clothing, and education. This study also suggested that Eritrean refugees be legally protected from rape, sexual abuse, arson, detention without cause, and kidnapping. Moreover, the study calls for health service providers to develop a mental health intervention plan and implement strategies to deliver mental health services at healthcare facilities for Eritrean refugees in the Dabat town Eritrean refugee camp.

Decisions to migrate are based on individual and family assessments of risk and opportunity, shaped by economic conditions, risks and experiences of violence, resources, and networks, which interact with personal factors and opportunity. During the journey, migrating people may encounter threats to their safety and wellbeing from both human and natural hazards. This study drew on survey data from 305 Mexican and Central American participants who migrated into the US between 2013 and 2022 alone or with families and children. Respondents provided demographic data and answered questions about stressors that prompted their migration, dangerous experiences encountered on their journey, sources of support, and what they wished they had known. Factors that influenced migration included economic stressors such as loss of job and poverty, witnessing or experiencing interpersonal violence or state violence such as kidnapping or threats to self or family, and environmental factors such as natural disasters. Approximately a third of participants traveled with their children, parents or siblings. Younger migrants and migrating people traveling with children reported significantly higher likelihood of encountering dangers during migration. Implications for supporting migrating children and families who have encountered violence and trauma are discussed, as well as limitations of the research.

This article introduces an analytical framework to explain the coexistence of peaceful borders and illicit transnational flows as evidenced by drug trafficking, human trafficking and smuggling, weapons trafficking, and terrorism in the Americas, a region characterized by international peace, domestic peace, and regional integration. Under the assumption that peaceful relations among neighboring countries enable the incursion of transnational nonstate actors across their borders, the article poses this main question: Under which conditions might peaceful borders enable illicit transnational flows? There is much more variance in the incidence of these illicit transnational flows across borders than in the existence of international peace. The article examines two major variables: the degree of governance and institutional strength of the bordering states; and the prevalent socioeconomic conditions of the bordering states. En este artículo introducimos un marco analítico para explicar y entender la coexistencia de fronteras pacíficas y movimientos transnacionales ilícitos, como por ejemplo el tráfico de drogas, el tráfico y contrabando de personas, el tráfico de armas, y terrorismo, en las Américas. Para ello, tomamos como punto de partida el argumento que relaciones pacíficas entre países vecinos facilitan, bajo ciertas circunstancias, la incursión de actores no-estatales transnacionales a través de sus fronteras. La pregunta principal que nos formulamos en este artículo es: Cuáles son las condiciones a partir de las cuales las fronteras pacíficas permiten movimientos transnacionales ilícitos? Se refleja una mayor variación en la incidencia de estos movimientos transnacionales ilícitos a través de fronteras que la existencia de paz internacional. Por lo tanto, examinamos dos variables importantes: (1) el grado de gobernanza y fortaleza institucional de los países vecinos; y (2) las condiciones socio-económicas que prevalecen en los países vecinos.

The extant literature in the social sciences often employs qualitative methods to capture the contextual nuances of the nature, manifestations, and impacts of issues of importance today. This is the case for studies looking at kidnapping in Nigeria, where perception-based surveys are often neglected. We argue that these qualitative approaches alone are inadequate for thoroughly comprehending the structural factors and public opinions that explain the occurrence and severity of kidnapping in Nigeria. This study extensively analyses the seriousness of kidnapping as a critical security issue in contemporary Nigeria, seeking to explore the factors contributing to this phenomenon through a quantitative survey based on citizen perceptions, as they endure the impacts of kidnapping within their communities. Using logistic regression, this study examined the 2022 Afrobarometer data to determine the factors influencing kidnapping in Nigeria. The findings indicate that, as the frequency of kidnapping is rising, poor police handling of kidnapping cases, worsening economic conditions, community safety concerns, ethnic marginalization, and low ethnic trust significantly predict the perceived severity of kidnapping in Nigeria. In contrast, perceptions of government handling crime (although associated considerably at the bivariate level) and corruption were not statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. Highlighting the severity of kidnapping in Nigeria contributes to the body of knowledge in security studies, development studies, and governance by illustrating how economic hardship, institutional failure, and social crisis influence the frequency and perceived seriousness of kidnapping. It points to the need for more collaborative, networked governance that puts people at the centre of policies and actions to tackle kidnapping in Nigeria.

The concept of vulnerability to sex trafficking has been the subject of intense academic debate. It is well documented in the literature that child sex trafficking is facilitated by the abuse of a position of vulnerability, though limited research has focused on children’s order of birth as an element of vulnerability to sex trafficking. The objective of this article, based on a sample of 112 Central American women smuggled to the United States for the sex trade before they had attained the age of eighteen years, is to examine whether the order of birth constitutes an element of vulnerability to sex trafficking. Trafficked minors had vulnerabilities linked to structural-level and individual-level factors. We conclude that sisters occupying the first place in the order of birth are the most susceptible to being recruited by an international network that smuggles women for prostitution. On the contrary, the youngest and middle sisters are less at risk due to the protection and guidance of the other sisters.

This study evaluates the impact of terrorism on economic performance in Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from the year 2004 to 2013. Study applied the economics of crime monitoring model by Ruiz Estrada and Ndoma (J Policy Model 36:867–882, 2014) for analysis. The application of the model for ISIS has five phases (a) the total terrorism frequency rate (β) (b) the national terrorism vulnerability rate (µ T ) (c) the terrorism devastation magnitude rate ( λ ) (d) the economic desgrowth rate ( δ ) (e) the terrorism vulnerability surface. The results of study conclude that terrorism has badly affected the economic performance of ISIS during the study period. Instead of direct fighting against the terrorist group in ISIS, the developed world especially the Europe and United States of America may review the terrorism policy about these economies and may eradicates the terrorism by reducing poverty, religious discrimination and inequality to increase the opportunity cost of terrorism.