Illegal immigration, human trafficking, and organised crime

This paper discusses a variety of issues surrounding illegal immigration, human trafficking and organised crime in relation to the intimate connections with the transformations of the world economy.

The paper particularly highlights:

• there is an important distinction between illegal immigration, human smuggling, and human trafficking
• human smuggling and trafficking has become a world-wide industry that employs millions and has an annual turnover of billions of dollars
• many of the routes and enclaves used by the smugglers have become institutionalised, for instance, from Mexico and Central America to the United States, from West Asia through Greece and Turkey to Western Europe, and within East and Southeast Asia
• flourishing smuggling routes are made possible by weak legislation, lax border controls, corrupted police officers, and the power of organised crime. Naturally, poverty and warfare contribute to the rising tide of migration, both legal and illegal
• in general, illegal migration seems to be increasing due to strict border controls combined with the expansion of the areas of free mobility
• the more closed are the borders and the more attractive are the target countries, the greater is the share of human trafficking in illegal migration and the role played by national and transnational organised crime
• the involvement of criminal groups in migration means that smuggling leads to trafficking and thus to victimisation and the violation of human rights, including prostitution and slavery

[adapted from author]