Legal culture on human trafficking in Mercosur

Mercosur has become a key region for human trafficking. This illegal trade interconnects the four countries by means of a complex criminal matrix and requires concerted governmental strategies in order to counter this phenomenon. However, Mercosur member states had established different regulations, thereby keeping the region from developing a joint strategy. This was to change in 2001 when the bloc emerged as a transnational actor in order to promote cooperation and coordination in the fight against the trafficking of people. Against this background, this book explores to what extent the transnational actions of Mercosur have influenced local arenas and reshaped the subregion’s legal geography.