My longstanding research in this area examines the relationship between global inequality and irregular forms of mobility e.g., human trafficking. I am particularly interested in questioning the conception and treatment of mobile African male bodies in mainstream human trafficking discourses and agendas. Much of this work was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
In this article, I question how the agency of young Black men from West Africa impacts whether they are seen as legitimate victims of human trafficking, particularly in the context of football migration. By examining their aspirations alongside critical trafficking scholarship and the geographies of commodities, I introduce the concept of “the football trafficking fetish” to unpack how agency and exploitation coexist in their lives. This work challenges assumptions about trafficking as outside capitalist systems and invites us to rethink vulnerability and susceptibility in migration and exploitation narratives.
In this article, I examine how young men in Ghana view migration through football as a way to navigate the socioeconomic challenges of life in neoliberal Accra. For these youth, international migration is seen as a pathway to social mobility, and they often embrace a strategy of ‘trying their luck’ to pursue opportunities despite significant uncertainties. By focusing on their perspectives and strategies, I shift attention from European settings to the local African context, revealing how conditions within and beyond the football industry shape their aspirations and decisions. This work highlights the need for deeper engagement with the broader socioeconomic realities underpinning African football migration.
In this article, I explore the journeys of young Black male migrants from West Africa pursuing football careers in Europe, using their experiences to challenge common narratives around migration and trafficking. By centring their voices, I highlight how anti-trafficking policies often fail to consider their aspirations, framing them as “better off at home” despite the challenges they face there. This work reveals the unique struggles of Black male youth in navigating systems that limit their mobility and opportunities.
James Esson 