Is The Concept of Human Smuggling, similar with human trafficking? In the era of human rights development, human smuggling is also one of the emerging issues. Generally there is a huge gap in the understanding of both the concept as both are generally considered as same concepts. Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking both are some way interrelated with some differences. Not only a single country is affected from this particular burning issue, but it is also one of the most debatable concepts in international scenario. Huge numbers of people are getting affected and also their rights which also includes right to life with dignity. Consequences of these issues are worst and also very much heinous in nature. Least developing nations are the most affected nations in comparison with developing and developed nations.
In order to see the difference between both the concepts, one has to understand that human smuggling is the smuggling of human with their consent by involved organisations, from one place to another illegally for financial benefits of themselves for example illegal border crossing whereas in human trafficking, person are being trafficked or acquisition of people forcibly done in a very degrading, dangerous conditions for various purpose such as prostitution, slavery, cruelty, violence etc. But both the concepts are somehow interrelated as in the course of human smuggling, it’s also involved the occurrence of mentioned heinous crimes and vice versa. Human smuggling is one of the wide and emerging hot topics at global level which involves almost all the human rights issues. And it put forth the challenges before all the nations, worldwide to trace these organisations and to fight back against them. United Nations has already started combating against these crimes through United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime[1] and its protocol on Trafficking in person and migrants smuggling.
[1] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto accessed on https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/index.html (accessed on 10th September 2015 on 19.30 PM)
Post Contributed by:
Priyank Jagawanshi
Assistant Professor of Law
IILS, Siliguri
