What is the difference between people smuggling and human trafficking?
People smuggling and trafficking in persons both involve the movement of people. In principle, trafficking in persons and people smuggling are distinctly different. Trafficking does not require an illegal border crossing, nor is it necessarily transnational, such as in cases of internal trafficking, whereas people smuggling always involves an illegal border crossing. While victims of people trafficking are regarded as commodities, individuals who are smuggled across borders are more like clients who pay for the service. It is the exploitative purpose that is at the core of trafficking and distinguishes it from other crimes. ^ top..
