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The anti-sex trafficking apparatus has been shown to be largely dominated by the anti-prostitution oppression paradigm. This narrative is nurtured by stigmatising beliefs rooted in religious and cultural assumptions. It is also bolstered by a securitarian, anti-migration political agenda and characterised by medicalising interventions. While in this article I join many others in critiquing anti-trafficking aid, I reflect specifically on one of its less explored aspects. I focus on the extent to which criminalising and moralising attitudes are embodied by different kinds of professionals working in humanitarian care for rescued ‘sex trafficking victims’.
