J. Lima de Pérez

‘Migrants who sell sex’ is a vast category which includes a variety of ever-changing and fluid experiences. These experiences, however, are often a secondary consideration when it comes to categorizing said migrants. Adapted from the homonymous publication-based doctoral thesis defended by the author at Ghent University on 30 June 2015, ‘Labelling migrants who sell sex’ explores the construction, manipulation and imposition of the labels of ‘victim of trafficking’ and ‘migrant sex worker’ and their consequences.

Through a case study of Brazilian migrants in Spain and Portugal, this book delves into the motivations of both receiving/developed and sending/developing countries which shape their construction of the labels of migrants working in the sex industry and their application. It considers issues such as the varying definitions of these labels in national legislation and policies, the effect of the manipulation of labels on trafficking statistics, the problems faced by migrants who sell sex outside of the trafficking context and the treatment given to those labelled as (potential) victims of trafficking before and after reaching their country of destination.

Julie Lima de Pérez earned a master’s degree in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe (Natolin) in 2010. She moved to Belgium the following year to pursue a doctoral degree in Criminological Sciences at Ghent University.