The Department of Human Rights and Politics and the International Studies Program of the Doctoral School of Sociology at the ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences invite students and researchers to a panel discussion examining emerging forms of human trafficking, with a particular focus on sexual and labor exploitation in the Global South and their implications for local contexts.

The event will take place on September 23, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM in the POLIR Community Room (2.61) at the ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences.

The discussion comes at a significant moment for anti-trafficking policy in Europe. Directive (EU) 2024/1712, which entered into force on July 14, 2026, amends Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating human trafficking. The new legislation expands the definition of exploitation to include practices such as forced marriage, illegal adoption, and the exploitation of surrogacy.

The panel will provide an opportunity to reflect on these developments through the lens of the recent volume—titled New Forms of Human Trafficking. Global South Highlights and Local Contexts on Sexual and Labor Exploitation—edited by Anabela Miranda Rodrigues and Maria João Guia. Bringing together academic research and the experiences of professionals working in governmental institutions, the book examines the methods traffickers use to recruit, coerce, and control victims. Its interdisciplinary approach offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in preventing and addressing human trafficking.

Speakers

• Prof. Maria João Guia (University of Coimbra / CEPOL)

• Prof. Eugenio Zaniboni (University of Foggia)