Trafficking vs. Smuggling

What sets human smuggling apart from human trafficking is that the defining element of human smuggling is transportation, while the defining element of human trafficking is exploitation. In fact, a human trafficking victim would not need to travel anywhere to be trafficked. And, people who are smuggled are not necessarily exploited and are acting out of their own free will.

Human smuggling is the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation, or illegal entry of a person across an international border. It occurs in violation of one or more countries' laws, either clandestinely (by avoiding checkpoints altogether) or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents. Smuggling usually ends when a border has been crossed and a smuggling fee has been paid.

By contrast, human trafficking is non-consensual; the exploitation typically occurs indefinitely. 

However, a case of human smuggling can become a case of human trafficking if the "smuggler" forces the individual being smuggled to work off fees that were not originally agreed upon. In this case the smuggler may threaten the smuggled person's life or the lives of their loved ones to ensure cooperation. 

Reference: This information has been shared from the Human Trafficking Awareness Training provided by the U.S Department of Homeland Security. For more information, or to participate in the online training visit  www.dhs.gov and visit us at www.conroyassociates.com