
The UNODC has launched a new global Action against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling. Under its new Action, UNODC will highlight the links between trafficking and smuggling and other forms of organized crime such as cybercrime, money laundering, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, and corruption. See more here.
While identification of trafficked persons needs to get more priority, including among those that enter countries irregularly, La Strada International believes that it remains very important to prevent the conflation between the crimes of human trafficking and smuggling. When addressing smuggling, more attention should be paid to the fact that people often decide to turn to smugglers due to the lack of opportunities to move and cross borders in a regular manner, as well as to the fact that those helping people to cross borders, might not necessarily aim to profit or have a purpose of exploiting people. Recently PICUM reported that between January and December 2023, at least 117 people faced judicial proceedings in the EU for acting in solidarity with migrants. The majority were charged with facilitation of entry, stay or transit or migrant smuggling.