Structural Violence and LGBTQ+ Vulnerability to Trafficking in Persons for Sexual Exploitation in Albania: A Qualitative Study

Author: Bodinaku, Blerta; Sulstarova, Anila; Zahaj, Skerdi; Hysi, Greta & Sula, Gerda

Abstract: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals experience heightened vulnerability to trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation, yet remain underrepresented in trafficking research and response frameworks. This qualitative, multi-source study examines how such vulnerability is produced and sustained among LGBTQ+ individuals in Albania, drawing on in-depth interviews with victims, focus groups, and interviews with frontline professionals, and analysis of anonymized case files. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study integrates experiential, institutional, and documentary perspectives. Findings show that family rejection, early institutional failure, legal invisibility, and socio-economic exclusion interact over time to normalize exploitation and constrain viable alternatives, often blurring distinctions between agency and coercion, particularly within informal economies and intimate relationships. By situating trafficking in persons within broader social and institutional arrangements, the study highlights limitations of narrow identification frameworks and underscores the need for inclusive, rights-based, and trauma-informed responses that address structural determinants of vulnerability. The findings contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equality) and 16 (just, peaceful, and inclusive societies), and offer insights relevant beyond the Albanian context.

Keywords: trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, LGBTQ+, structural violence, intersectionality, Albania