International Human Trafficking : Theory and Solution

In this paper, we build a simple model to explain the choice of migration method and the root causes of international human trafficking (IHT). Our analyses result in several implications on the problems related to IHT. First, IHT is driven by poverty and international productivity/living quality disparities. Second, the existing humanitarian and/or suppressive approaches cannot solve the problem. Third, the best option for solving the problem is setting up the ‘reciprocal direct investment’ (RDI) scheme between leading and lagged economies. The RDI scheme can facilitate improvements in the quality of public governance in lagged economies and directly promote international competition, efficiency, trade liberalization and division of labor. The resulting convergence in global living quality at a higher level across nations will eliminate the root causes of illicit migrations