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Smuggling of migrants - A Global Review and Annotated Bibliography of Recent Publications

Document number
2370
Date
2010
Title
Smuggling of migrants - A Global Review and Annotated Bibliography of Recent Publications
Author/publisher
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Migration, smuggling, research
Summary

The publication is a literature review that attempts to give an overview over the issue of migrant smuggling on a worldwide basis. The report identifies which areas have been researched too little or unsuccessfully and suggests how more knowledge can be obtained.

One of the problems identified in the report is the continued confusion of various concepts, in particular trafficking and smuggling. Furthermore it is stressed that the many different theories used to understand migrant smuggling are often one sided, western centred and unable to give a clear picture of the smuggling arena, since the field is too big for a single study to cover. The report thus stresses the importance of bringing different theories and studies together, so a broader understanding of smuggling on a world wide basis can be provided.

The report goes on to comment on the different methodologies used for research in the field of smuggling – the report shows concern for the fact that there is a big lack of reliable data within qualitative research. On the other side qualitative data has had a positive growth over the last several years. Research also suffer, suggests the report, from an imbalance as to focus – so far, the vast majority of research has its focus on North America and Western Europe. This also goes for the production of research, where most research is produced in destination countries, instead of in transit and source countries.

In regards to creating profiles of migrants and smugglers, the report emphasizes that such profiles are often build on stereotypes, or relies on inadequate data. Regarding to the report it is thus not so easy to separate one group from the other as a person can have a role as a migrant one day and as a smuggler the next.

The report determines that smuggling networks are build up after the enterprise model, in which several small organisations are connected to a big one. The global smuggling network is becoming more and more sophisticated and is starting to replace small scale regional business.

Finally the report turns to the human dimension and looks into the social costs of migrant smuggling. The report suggests that more research is done in this area, as the data available is limited. Furthermore the report stresses the need to engage in more gender and age sensitive research.

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