Refugee Trafficking in A Carceral Age: A Case Study of the Sinai Trafficking

Author: Yohannes, Hyab Teklehaimanot

Abstract: Since 2007, tens of thousands of Eritreans escaping widespread repression, open-ended national service, and socio-economic deprivation have reached the Sinai Peninsula hoping to cross the border into Israel. Early on, voluntary smuggling facilitated refugee crossings. Around 2009, however, smuggling became a notorious trafficking network, referred to as Sinai trafficking. Hostages were raped, tortured, and murdered. This human tragedy continued for several years, unknown to the outside world, and was, strikingly, not acted upon, even once discovered. No criminal investigation was taken after its discovery. How and why do the torture, death, and reports of organ trading of thousands of innocent refugees go ignored? In this article, I look into why it might be that the Sinai trafficking has gone unpunished, concluding that it is because the victims, had, due to their circumstances, come to be regarded merely as “bare lives”.

Keywords: bare life, carceral system, impunity, ransom, torture camps, trafficking