People smuggling why

Purpose — smugglers complete their interaction with migrants once they have been moved, while traffickers continue to exploit people. Borders — while smuggling always happens across borders, trafficking can occur within a state — even within a community. Why does it matter?

Responding to the crime of smuggling with anti-trafficking activity will do little to reduce the scale of irregular migration or reduce its associated risks. In fact, it might increase them. Smuggling routes have become increasingly interconnected and complex in response to legislative and law enforcement activities. They may be simple and direct, but more often than not, they are circuitous.

For example, migrants from both Africa and Asia may be found along the same smuggling route up to North America. The relationship between criminals and migrants is very much a temporary one, making the criminals difficult to trace. They are generally unknown to the people they are smuggling, hide behind pseudonyms in encrypted chats and use rental vehicles and different mobile numbers, for example.

While some migrants and smugglers make contact face-to-face at well-known meeting points, most of the smuggling process is carried out online. Criminal groups use the Internet or dark web to recruit, gather real-time information on routes, communicate and advertise their services. For migrants, planning an illegal journey can seem like booking a holiday.

Platforms are professionally run and follow a specific business model. Reality, unfortunately, can be very different from what was advertised. Hazardous routes, overcrowded boats, abandonment, and forced criminality are just some of the dangers faced by migrants once they set off. Technology also acts as a lifeline for migrants. Some smugglers were once themselves smuggled migrants, who now operate either in destination countries or transit states.

Is this a smuggler? That was after payments to middlemen, sailing crews, shipowners — and the police. Corrupt officials — police officers, border guards, diplomats — are rarely exposed. Smuggling networks are generally not hierarchical, but some individuals may have transnational contacts. In some cases, for example on the US-Mexico border, criminal gangs are involved. A powerful drug cartel, Los Zetas, is believed to be supervising migrant smuggling.

The protocol against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air, which supplements the UN convention against transnational organised crime, came into force in January , and countries are party to it. There are a number of red flags that can be used to detect possible smuggling activity. Feshchenko said the key issue was cooperation between financial investigation units. Much of the money involved would be moved around as cash, or through informal money transfer or remittance systems like hawala.

In a report , the Financial Action Task Force — an intergovernmental body working to protect financial systems — detailed a number of cases where migrant smugglers were caught. In five people were arrested in the UK for helping to smuggle roughly 20, Turkish migrants. They used legitimate businesses like kebab shops and a snooker hall to launder the money.

In Senegal, the financial intelligence processing unit found extensive trafficking in visas between that country and Europe.