Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings: The Phenomenon, The Markets that Drive it and The Organisations that Promote it.

Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings: The Phenomenon, The Markets that Drive it and The Organisations that Promote it. Article by Alexis A. Aronowitz Presentation by Cindy Dehaen,July 2012Human smuggling and traffickingDefining the phenomenon: establishing coherent understandingMagnitude of the problem,understanding the reasons for its existence, identifying the root causes, analysis of the marketsNational and international programs & the importance of co-operation: strategies to fight smuggling and trafficking

Smuggled or trafficked? Voluntary vs unvoluntaryAmount of money paid by the victim upon arrival in the destination countryCreating a debt bondage: most victims are women & children (used for sexual exploitation & forced labor)Traffickers escape from prosecution: deception & coercion

The symbiotic relationship between illegal & conventional markets:use of sub-contracts => both profit of the use of smuggled or trafficked victims e.g.: textile industry, building industry, restaurants, factories, farms...

MagnitudE, reasons, root causes=> Accurate statistics: difficult due to its clandistine nature=> Estimate by the IOM: > 4 million a year => 5 factors indicating an increasing & expanding market: # of people living in poverty willing to take the chance lack in border control: corrupt government officials world & economy globalisation advanced technology & communication growing organized crimeThe PUSH and PULL factors: the REAL CAUSES of LEGAL AND ILLEGAL immigration

PUSH:Government corruptionInfant mortality rateProportion of youngstersFood production indexPopulation densitySocial unrestPULL:Easy border control (suggesting government corruption)Infant mortality rateMale population over 60Food production indexEnergy consumptionWhile some (il)legal migrants immediately end up in the third market, some start working the domestic service economy or in restaurants, often in slave-like conditionsOften includes deplorable working, living and sanitary conditionsWanting to escape from being mistreated, a lot of (il)legal migrants end up in the illicit sex industryMarkets benefiting from it (ANALYSIS)3 levels within the illicit sex industrySmall-scale activities by individual entrepreneurs (brothels)Mid-level prostitution of clandestine operations importing and controlling womenLarge-scale international criminal organisations linked with domestic criminal organisations , keeping women without documentation under tight control=> PROFITS USUALLY REINVESTED IN THE LEGITIMATE ECONOMY THROUGH MONEY LAUNDERING

Technological advances used for recrutement: the internetDIFFERent degrees of organizationEvidence byEuropol: high degree of organization evolved from large entities to smaller horizontal structures to co-operate in the European UnionIncreased flexibility &decentralization allow a faster adaptation &re-organization in case of threats from law enforcement but also market competition& higher demand!Horizontal interpendency => diversification => expansion into other illicit markets & criminal activities: vehicle theft drug trafficking trafficking in arms money launderingHalf of the sex-industry = in hands of non-nationalsCONditions facilitating the practiceLack of legislationLack of political will => corruptionLack of capacity: manpower & materialLack of co-operation nationally & internationallyCONditions & measures necessary to fight itPrevention Protection Assistance:=> awareness-raising campaigns in countries of origin & sensitization campaigns in transit/destination countries=> assistance programs & effective laws=> economic measures: strenghtening educational, training & job opportunities=> training material for fieldworkers=> a range of services for victims=> better protection & more legal measures granted to NGOsEnforcement Prosecution of Traffickers:=> obligatory existance of legislation & enforcement: eradicating corruption => enforcing agencies: allow them to take disruptive measures=> gathering & sharing of intelligence on national & international level

Actions to be takenExchange of informationCo-ordination & harmonization of national policies & lawsBi-lateral or multi-lateral agreementsRepatriation & reintegration assistanceExtradition of criminalsTraining of government officials More severe penalties for trafficking=> IF NOT: THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING IS SIMPLY DISPLACED (f.e. influx illegal Chinese into Great-Britain as a result of stringent measures in Germany)Establish:By who?NGOsGovernmentsInternational bodiesE.g.:The General Assembly of the United Nations:Convention on Transnational Organized Crime signed by 123 coutriesProtocol on smuggling signed by 77 countriesProtocol on trafficking signed by 80 countries Result: nationalcoalitions &internationalco-operationNational and international programsThe Global Program by CICP & UNICRI:=> Several projects in 4 different regions of the world=> Focus on research: identifying => MODUS OPERANDI=> travel routes => degree of organisation of criminal networks=> Questionnaires: collecting quantative emperical data & best practices => Data from NGOs, victims, government law enforcement & intelligence sources=> Information to better develop measures=> Better understanding of the factors fueling the problem: historical, cultural, political and economic situations (e.g. the case sof the Philippines & of West-Africa)

Rectifying the root causes to permanently resolve the problemSOURCESAronowitz, A.(2001). Smuggling and trafficking in human beings: the phenomenon, the markets that drive it and the organisations that promote it. European journal on Criminal Policy and Research,9 (2), 163-195. Doi: 10.1023/A1011253129328EUHomeAffairs (19 june 2012). Personal testimonies of victims of human trafficking [Video]. Consulted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-021GVUiKgU&feature=related