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Risk Factors of the Irregular Migratory Waves on the Western Balkan Route: Implications in the European Union Countries

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Migration and Crime

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Abstract

Highly diverse irregular migratory waves on the Western Balkan route marked an unprecedented phenomenon during the period of 2011–2015. These flows exposed them to harsh violation of human rights. In some cases, irregular migrants were treated as commodities and overlapping migrant smuggling with human trafficking. Smuggling and trafficking networks widely developed and caused negative consequences on migrants’ agency. Various severe conflicts and violent incidents were recorded at and around the borders of the Western Balkans. The article explores the potential risk factors of the irregular migration flows on the Western Balkan route. It focuses on migrant smuggling and human trafficking, analyzing their consequences on violence and crime to the European Union countries. The methodological approach of the study is based on qualitative research employing both secondary data and empirical evidence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Merita H. Meçe

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  1. Merita H. Meçe
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Correspondence to Merita H. Meçe .

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  1. Laboratory ‘Violence and Crime. Prevention and Mediation’, Institute of Sociology – Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania

    Ecaterina Balica

  2. Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Valentina Marinescu

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Meçe, M.H. (2018). Risk Factors of the Irregular Migratory Waves on the Western Balkan Route: Implications in the European Union Countries. In: Balica, E., Marinescu, V. (eds) Migration and Crime. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95813-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95813-2_3

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