Human Trafficking vs. Human Smuggling
The terms "human trafficking" and "human smuggling" are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
In the following video, Robin Pike differentiates the two terms.
(Transcript for the Human Smuggling vs Human Trafficking video.)
The U.N. Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air defines human smuggling as the "facilitation, transportation, or procurement of the illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border."
| Human Smuggling | Human Trafficking |
|---|---|
| Always involves a person illegally crossing over an international border. | May involve movement inside the person's own country or across an international border. |
| Is voluntary - the person involved chooses to be smuggled and has made an agreement to pay another person or group of people to commit a crime. | Is not voluntary - the person has not chosen to be exploited. |
| Ends when the smuggler gets the smuggled person over the border. | Does not end when the trafficked person arrives at a destination, but rather continues while the person is exploited for labour or services. |
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