Between the Law and a Hard Place—A Victim of Trafficking Meets the Norwegian Migration Regime

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the paradox that despite being defined as a vulnerable group in need of special protection, trafficking victims have been found to have difficulty obtaining protection in Norway. Using a vulnerability analysis, highlighting the role of institutions in both producing and redressing harm, the authors analyse the case of a trafficking victim with a long trajectory in the Norwegian legal system as well as in the media. We conclude that the state response to this case reveals the inherent structural violence at the intersection of international and national criminal-, migration-, and human rights laws and regulations, and policies aimed at limiting immigration, thereby evading Human Rights obligations, as well as contributing to the brutalisation of contemporary international migration regimes.