Call for Papers: Contemporary Issues in Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking
International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice
Abstract submission deadline: September 1, 2026
Full manuscript submission deadline: December 31, 2026
There is an appreciation that the current legal framework governing modern slavery and human trafficking is not always capable of properly criminalising and punishing misconduct, notably when the activities are of a cross-border nature and different legal systems are involved. Beyond the gaps in the law, there are also challenges associated with investigations, prosecutions and enforcement in this context. This Special Issue brings together scholars working at the intersection of criminology, criminal law, legal theory and socio-legal studies to explore inter alia the evolution and features of modern slavery and human trafficking, the victims of these phenomena, the identity, typology and legal responsibility of persons (legal and natural) involved in these phenomena, the legal frameworks that have been developed to address criminal liability for such operations and to provide victims of these phenomena with protection and redress. This publication also gathers ideas for potential solutions and concerted strategies, and spots new hurdles on the horizon.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
– The fight against modern slavery and/or human trafficking
– The legal frameworks that have been developed to address modern slavery and/or human trafficking
– The role of international actors (state and non-state actors)
– The projected future of human trafficking and/or modern slavery
– The influence of the digital ecosystem, including the internet, social media and AI, in facilitating these crimes
– Involvement and liability of digital providers for their involvement in these phenomena
– Emerging transnational threats
– Scam centres rooted in modern slavery and human trafficking
Original empirical contributions and critical evaluation of the law and theory underpinning these areas will be considered for publication. This Special Issue welcomes submissions that are doctrinal, empirical or theoretical in nature, including those involving socio-legal methods, critical legal studies, comparative law, and interdisciplinary approaches.
All manuscripts will be subjected to a blind peer review and will be processed using the Journal’s online electronic submission and review platform. Papers will be published as they are accepted. We also encourage authors to participate in the forthcoming online conference on 10 June 2026. The call for conference abstracts will be circulated in due course.
Further information about this Special Issue can be found at
Manuscript submission information:
- Only abstracts approved, you will be invited to submit your manuscript.
Please submit your abstract and biographical details no later than 1 September 2026, using the following online form. We will endeavour to communicate decisions on abstracts within 4 weeks of submission. To submit your abstract, please use the following link:
https://forms.office.com/e/rjnMeDv90f
- Manuscript submission deadline: December 31, 2026
Manuscripts submitted prior to that date will be sent out for peer review and – upon acceptance – published online first.
Submissions must be no more than 10,000 words
- Please submit a Title Page (template below) as a front page in your paper(to help with the blind review).
- Please upload your final paper (including your Title Page) onto the following platform: https://www.editorialmanager.com/ijlcj/default2.aspx
- You will need to create an account on this platform, if you do not have one already.
- Authors will not pay for the publication.
- Authors will not be paid for their papers.
- Please follow official APA version 7 guidelines throughout. Further instructions regarding references can be found here: https://link.springer.com/journal/10611/submission-guidelines#Instructions%20for%20Authors_References
Title Page
Professional title
First name
Surname
Institutional affiliation
Professional email address
Bio (no longer than 250 words, summarising professional background and research interests)
European Society of Criminology – Statement on the War in Gaza and the Israel/Palestine conflict
(Outcome of the 2025 GA Matters Consultation; adopted by the Executive Board in implementation of the membership consultation outcome) – 6 March 2026
In February 2026, the European Society of Criminology (ESC) conducted a membership consultation following the matters raised at the 2025 General Assembly in Athens. A majority of participating members supported the Executive Board issuing a public statement concerning the war in Gaza and the broader Israel/Palestine conflict (a detailed breakdown of the consultation results is available on the ESC website: https://esc-eurocrim.org/v2/esc-member-consultation-on-2025-general-assembly-matters/). The Executive Board therefore issues this statement in implementation of that consultation outcome.
The ESC is a scholarly society and a pluralistic community whose members hold diverse views on the appropriate relationship between scholarship, public statements, and moral or political questions. The outcome of the consultation reflects the decision of the majority of voters, but it does not invalidate or marginalize other perspectives within the Society. The ESC remains committed to ensuring that members across this spectrum feel at home and are able to engage in rigorous, respectful academic exchange.
Condemnation of atrocities and protection of civilians
As criminologists dedicated to the study of crime, its causes, and its harmful consequences, we unequivocally condemn the mass atrocities and large-scale human rights abuses committed against civilians during the war in Gaza since October 2023, including large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure, devastating loss of life, displacement, deprivation, and long-term trauma.
The scale of destruction and suffering in Gaza has been staggering. Water and sanitation infrastructure and universities have been severely damaged or destroyed (World Bank/Ipsos, 2024; Human Rights Watch, 2025), and the majority of hospitals rendered non-functional (Human Rights Watch, 2025). The civilian population have been subjected to severe restrictions on food, water, fuel, and medical supplies (IPC, 2025). At least 71,803 Palestinians have been reported killed, including at least 21,289 children (UNICEF, 2026) — figures that research has found to be conservative (Jamaluddine et al., 2025; Guillot et al., 2025). Major human rights organizations and UN mechanisms have concluded that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed on a mass scale (Human Rights Watch, 2024a; Amnesty International, 2024; UN Commission of Inquiry, 2024). The question of whether these acts amount to genocide against Palestinians under the Genocide Convention is debated in authoritative genocide-studies fora (Moses 2025) where it is argued that the threshold has been met (e.g. Segal, 2025; Shaw, 2025; Verdeja, 2025). Amnesty International (2024) concluded in the affirmative, while Human Rights Watch has documented acts of genocide and mounting evidence of genocidal intent (2024a). The question is also under active legal scrutiny before the International Court of Justice (ICJ, 2024).
Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack also constituted an atrocity involving the killing and abduction of civilians and other grave abuses, with enduring harm to victims, families, and communities. UN reporting records over 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage (OCHA, 2024; UNSRSG-SVC, 2024 [Patten report]). Major human rights organizations and UN mechanisms have documented these acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity (Human Rights Watch, 2024b; UN Commission of Inquiry, 2024; Amnesty International, 2025).
Accountability and rule of law
The ESC is committed to upholding international law whose logic is clear; atrocity crimes are not justified by atrocity crimes committed by others; civilian protection is not contingent on casualty numbers; and accountability must be pursued regardless of affiliation or status. We support thorough, independent investigations and accountability processes consistent with the rule of law—domestically and internationally—so that those responsible for war crimes and other serious violations are held to account, regardless of affiliation or status. We note ongoing international legal scrutiny and proceedings relevant to these events, and we support lawful processes aimed at preventing further harm and advancing accountability.
Criminology’s contribution
Criminologists have long studied not only crimes, but also their consequences for victims and the social fabric of communities. In Gaza, harms continue even when fighting pauses: through displacement, deprivation, disruption of healthcare and education, and psychological trauma, with particularly severe impacts on children and other vulnerable groups. Profound trauma and loss also affect Israeli victims and their families. Recovery requires not only accountability, but long-term support for victims and the rebuilding of community life and institutions.
Consistent with the ESC’s constitutional mission to foster criminological scholarship and its dissemination, the ESC will encourage rigorous research and debate on these events and their consequences—through conference programming, working groups, and publications in line with our legal framework and commitment to non-discrimination. It will also support the participation of affected scholars and early-career researchers through appropriate mechanisms, including fellowships and dedicated scholarly spaces.
We reaffirm the ESC’s commitment to respectful scholarly exchange, academic freedom, and the equal dignity and safety of all participants in ESC activities.
References
Amnesty International (2024). ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza. London: Amnesty International (Index: MDE 15/8668/2024). Published 5 December 2024. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/8668/2024/en/.
Amnesty International (2025). Targeting Civilians: Murder, Hostage-Taking and Other Violations by Palestinian Armed Groups in Israel and Gaza. London: Amnesty International (Index: MDE 15/0282/2025). Published 11 December 2025. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/0282/2025/en/.
Guillot, M., Draidi, M., Cetorelli, V., Monteiro Da Silva, J.H.C. and Lubbad, I. (2025). ‘Life expectancy losses in the Gaza Strip during the period October 2023, to September 2024’, The Lancet, 405(10477), pp. 478–485. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02810-1.
Human Rights Watch (2024a). Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water. New York: Human Rights Watch. Published 19 December 2024. https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/12/19/extermination-and-acts-genocide/israel-deliberately-depriving-palestinians-gaza.
Human Rights Watch (2024b). ‘I Can’t Erase All the Blood from My Mind’: Palestinian Armed Groups’ October 7 Assault on Israel. New York: Human Rights Watch. Published 17 July 2024. https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/07/17/i-cant-erase-all-blood-my-mind/palestinian-armed-groups-october-7-assault-israel.
Human Rights Watch (2025). ‘Israel and Palestine’, in World Report 2025. New York: Human Rights Watch. Published 16 January 2025. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/israel-and-palestine.
ICJ (International Court of Justice) (2024). Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel): Order on Provisional Measures, 26 January 2024. The Hague: International Court of Justice. https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203447.
IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) (2025). Gaza Strip: IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot, July–September 2025 [Famine Review Committee Report]. Rome: IPC Global Support Unit. Published 22 August 2025. https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Famine_Review_Committee_Report_Gaza_Aug2025.pdf.
Jamaluddine, Z., Abukmail, H., Aly, S., Campbell, O.M.R. and Checchi, F. (2025). ‘Traumatic injury mortality in the Gaza Strip from Oct 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024: a capture–recapture analysis’, The Lancet, 405(10469), pp. 469–477. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02678-3.
Moses, A. D. (2025). Introduction: Gaza and the Problems of Genocide Studies. Journal of Genocide Research, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2025.2558401
OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) (2024). Humanitarian Situation Update — Gaza Strip. New York/Geneva: OCHA. https://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-situation-update-353-gaza-strip
Segal, R. (2025). Introduction: Genocide Studies – Coming to Terms with Failure. Journal of Genocide Research, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2025.2557712
Shaw, M. (2025). The Genocide that Changed the World. Journal of Genocide Research, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2025.2556575.
UN Commission of Inquiry (2024). Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. UN Doc. A/HRC/56/26. Geneva: United Nations Human Rights Council. Published 27 May 2024. https://undocs.org/A/HRC/56/26
UN Commission of Inquiry (2025). Legal Analysis of the Conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. UN Doc. A/HRC/60/CRP.3. Geneva: Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, United Nations Human Rights Council. Published 16 September 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-crp-3.pdf
UNICEF (2026). Gaza Humanitarian Situation Report. New York: UNICEF. Published 5 February 2026. https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/children-gaza-need-lifesaving-support
United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (2024). Mission Report: Official Visit of the Office of the SRSG-SVC to Israel and the Occupied West Bank, 29 January–14 February 2024 [Patten Report]. New York: United Nations. Published 4 March 2024. https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/mission-report-official-visit-of-the-office-of-the-srsg-svc-to-israel-and-the-occupied-west-bank-29-january-14-february-2024/
Verdeja, E. (2025). The Gaza Genocide in Five Crises. Journal of Genocide Research, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2025.2452707.
World Bank / United Nations / European Union (2024). Gaza Strip: Interim Damage Assessment Summary Note. Washington, DC: World Bank. Published 29 March 2024. https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/14e309cd34e04e40b90eb19afa7b5d15-0280012024/original/Gaza-Interim-Damage-Assessment-032924-Final.pdf
6 March 2026
Phishing Scam Misusing the ESC President’s Name
Several criminologists have received a message purporting to be from the President of the ESC, asking for assistance on a matter relating to the Board, and then proceeding to request a monetary contribution. It is a fraudulent message. Please do not respond or send any funds.
The European Society of Criminology operates with full transparency, and under no circumstances would the President or any member of the Board directly reach out to request personal assistance or financial contributions for matters relating to the Society. Any genuine communications involving matters of the Society will always follow formal and transparent processes.
Please follow these guidelines to protect yourself:
-
- Do not reply to any email asking for money, even if it seems to come from someone you trust.
- Report suspicious emails to the ESC secretariat (secretariat@esc-eurocrim.org)
- Never share sensitive personal or financial information via email.
- Always double-check the sender’s email address. Scammers often use an email address that looks similar to a legitimate one.
- Be wary of unsolicited emails claiming to represent the European Society of Criminology or any other entity (because this kind of scam has become quite common nowadays).
Statement of the Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology
The European Society of Criminology (ESC) and the ESC Executive Board both collectively and individually are being accused of legitimising war crimes in Palestine and are being pressurised to institute a boycott of individual ESC members based on their country of origin and institutional affiliation.
We reject the claims that the ESC legitimises policies that enable international crimes in the strongest possible terms. The ESC Board has consistently condemned international crimes and violations of human rights, including those committed in Palestine. We wholeheartedly condemn the subjection of the civilian population of Gaza to severe mass atrocities by Israel. That this is happening is a fact. It is further underscored by the ICC arrest warrants against political leaders in connection with the conflict.
At the same time, our duty as a Board is to uphold the ESC Constitution, which is premised on academic freedom, scholarly exchange and inclusivity across national and political boundaries. In line with these principles, participation in our conferences cannot be precluded on the basis of nationality or institutional affiliation. The Society’s key contribution to challenging the atrocities happening in Gaza is to provide fora for rigorous scholarly debate, in academic and publicly accessible settings, thereby strengthening criminological knowledge and informing the public and policymakers, rather than boycotting individual members or issuing political declarations in the name of the entire ESC membership.
There is widespread misinformation circulating on social media about the ESC, its principles, and its practices. These gross distortions risk damaging the reputation of our Society and the integrity of its scholarly mission. The ESC Board deeply regrets that such campaigns have led Panteion University and the Municipality of Athens to revoke their involvement in EuroCrim 2025. As partners—and as a matter of due process—we would have expected to be consulted and given an opportunity to present our position before any decision was taken. It is regretful that neither Panteion University nor the Municipality granted us this opportunity. The conference will nevertheless proceed as planned – thereby ensuring that all voices and all opinions may be voiced and heard.
The ESC is a scholarly society devoted to the study of crime and societal responses to it. The study of atrocities and international crimes—including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide—has a long and distinguished place in our community. Indeed, ESC conferences are among the most important global fora for discussions on the criminology of atrocities.
We are equally committed to protecting our members’ freedom of expression. The forthcoming General Assembly—the ESC’s highest forum, open to all ESC members—will include a democratic discussion on the Society’s stance toward Israel/Palestine. Consistent with this commitment, our members are free to express their views. The ESC encourages such discussion and safeguards members’ right to engage in it, in keeping with our mission to foster dialogue among members, including on contested issues. This commitment is also reflected in the EUROCRIM 2025 programme: multiple panels will examine the policing of free speech and student protests within universities and societies at large, providing a structured forum for rigorous and respectful debate.
A Statement of the Executive Board of the European Society, adopted on 31 August 2025
Ελληνική έκδοση / Greek version https://esc-eurocrim.org/v2/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Statement-of-the-ESC-Executive-Board_Aug-2025_2_with-logo_GREEK.pdf
PARTICIPATION IN EUROCRIM CONFERENCES: UPHOLDING DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND SCHOLARLY EXCHANGE
The Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology (ESC) reaffirms its commitment to the principles enshrined in its Constitution: to promote criminological scholarship, cooperation, and dialogue across borders.
We focus on providing a platform for academic discourse that transcends national and political boundaries, and endeavour to promote the development of mutual respect and understanding to build empathetic dialogue, which we believe is crucial for advancing criminological research and understanding – particularly in times of conflict.
As set out in our November 2024 Statement we are deeply affected by the violence and suffering caused by conflicts around the world, including in Palestine/Israel. We unequivocally condemn all violations of human rights and international crimes, as defined in the Rome Statute and other relevant international instruments. As a scientific Society, we uphold academic freedom and invite scholarly discussion on these issues at our annual meetings and other fora.
The ESC does not exclude participants on the basis of their nationality, ethnicity, institutional affiliation, religion or country of origin. Calls to forbid participation of individuals or institutions for such reasons are incompatible with our mission and our Constitution.
The ESC fosters dialogue, not division. Our annual meetings are open forums where criminologists from all backgrounds can meet, exchange knowledge, and engage in respectful academic debate. This openness is at the core of our identity and has been essential to the ESC’s role in building an international community of scholars.
For these reasons, the ESC Board firmly rejects proposals to exclude participants on grounds unrelated to scientific exchange. Upholding inclusivity and academic freedom is our responsibility to our members, to the wider criminological community, and to society at large.
The ESC Board reaffirms its commitment to freedom of opinion and expression and to the promotion of an environment of mutual respect, understanding, and the encouragement of diversity to cultivate a productive, positive, and equitable environment. Within our community, this freedom also means guaranteeing that others can be heard. Attempts to disrupt, or silence contributions in our meetings undermine these norms and fall outside protected expression. Our Guidelines for Conference Participants sets out expectations placed on participants premised on fairness, respect and professional regard where any form of threatening physical or verbal actions and disorderly or disruptive conduct towards conference participants will not be tolerated.
A Statement of the Executive Board of the European Society, adopted on August 2025
Statement of the Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology on international conflicts outside Europe
The mission of the European Society of Criminology, as outlined in its constitution, is to foster criminological scholarship and to encourage scholarly and practical exchange and cooperation. The ESC has always been, and shall remain, a forum for all scholars who are committed to the values of academic freedom, mutual respect, and the pursuit of criminological knowledge.
In line with the Society’s purpose and objectives, the ESC does not support the institutional boycott of academic establishments based on their country of operation. However, as a society committed to free speech and academic freedom, we acknowledge the right of individual members to make such decisions on their own. In this same spirit, the ESC continues to welcome scholars of all nationalities, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds to its conferences and other events, provided they embrace the values of the Society, as outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Apart from the Declaration concerning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine (21 April 2022), where the conflict occurred on the soil of a Council of Europe member state, the ESC Executive Board has refrained, and will continue to refrain, from issuing statements on international conflicts outside Europe. We are, however, deeply affected by the violence and suffering caused by conflicts around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and elsewhere. As a scholarly society, we do not take positions on conflicts occurring outside Europe, but we unequivocally condemn all violations of human rights and international crimes, as defined in the Rome Statute and other relevant international instruments.
We encourage our members to examine the individual and societal impacts of international crimes and other atrocities, and to proactively develop and promote laws, policies, and measures to address and mitigate these issues. Furthermore, we support open scholarly engagement on the criminology of international conflicts at our conferences, while promoting dialogue that respects diverse viewpoints and upholds mutual respect.
8 November 2024
Declaration of the Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology concerning the war in Ukraine
As European criminologists we focus and report on (international) crimes and injustices: their prevalence, etiology, prevention, consequences for victims and societies, and on the responses to them. We condemn such atrocities and injustices and also those who commit them or take advantage of conflict situations to restrict fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Consequently, the Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology declares its utmost concern at Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. While the war in Ukraine is not the only current conflict in the world in which civilians suffer and struggle, it touches our academic Society in two particular ways. First, we are a criminological Society and there are strong indications that atrocities —which might constitute international crimes— are being committed, leading to wide-spread victimization. These include war crimes, such as killings and intentional attacks against the civilian population, and crimes against humanity, such as the forcible transfer of populations and sexual violence. The war is forcing millions of people to leave their livelihoods and all their material possessions and to become refugees. Second, Ukraine is a European country. The fact that an aggressive war is waged on European soil renders attention to such atrocities particularly pressing for us as a Society.
While we do not know at this moment how the conflict will develop or how long it will last, the ESC Executive Board has made the following decisions:
- First, within our fellowship program to attend the annual conference of the ESC, we will give precedence to colleagues affected by the war in Ukraine. We will increase the number of these fellowships and extend the deadline for application for a fellowship for these colleagues until 1st June 2022;
- Second, we will, in close collaboration with our working group ECACTJ (European Criminology Group on Atrocity Crimes and Transitional Justice) organize a number of sessions at the ESC annual conference in Malaga (Eurocrim 2022) that will be devoted to the Ukrainian situation specifically, to the criminology of international crimes in a more generic sense, and to justice responses thereto in general;
- Third, together with the local organizers of Eurocrim 2022, we are preparing a plenary in Malaga that will be devoted to international crimes and criminology;
- Fourth, the European Journal of Criminology, which serves as a forum for high quality scholarship on these among many other topics the discipline addresses, is exploring together with SAGE Publications a number of possibilities to give scholarly attention to the conflict in Ukraine. These include the organisation of a special issue or the identification of key papers which could be offered free of charge. The Journal is considerate of any impact on the publication process for authors, reviewers, etc. affected by the war.
Finally, the Executive Board wishes to stress that the European Society of Criminology continues to welcome to its conferences and any activities all scholars, irrespective of their nationality or background, who accept the values the Society ascribes to, as laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights and other key Council of Europe Conventions and Recommendations.
The Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology
21 April 2022