Trafficking in persons

It is estimated that thousands of people have lost their lives attempting to migrate to Europe in 2015. The migrant crisis has drawn unprecedented attention to the dangers of human smuggling, but it has done little to improve understanding that the crimes of “human trafficking” and “smuggling of migrants” are distinct forms of organized crime. Smuggling is a crime against the state, involving facilitation of illegal crossing of borders for a fee. Trafficking is a crime against a person, involving the ongoing exploitation of another human being in forced labour or forced prostitution. This chapter provides aggregate information about the profiles of trafficked persons worldwide, thee numbers of persons trafficked, where they come from and where they go, some of the most oft cited estimates about the market value of trafficked persons. The social harms of this criminal activity are readily apparent, thus the chapter outlines some of the economic harms to source and destination countries.

Illicit Trade: Converging Criminal Networks

Trafficking in persons

Trends and patterns