Experts' Quick Takes
Many journalists develop subject knowledge to report their stories, and in addition rely on the aid of experts to untangle complex issues, such as trafficking. Expertise is helpful as you clarify terms or work at making connections in a story about trafficking. Here, we pose questions to a range of experts who have studied the issue, work directly with trafficking victims, and/or are survivors. Contact information is included in case you want to reach out to these experts for your reporting, and if there’s a question you’d like to see addressed here, just let us know.
Q: What is the difference between smuggling and trafficking, and why is it important to distinguish between the two in news coverage?
A: Both smuggling and trafficking are business enterprises, but they rely on different business models. The terms should not be considered interchangeable:
Say More: What begins as smuggling may become trafficking if the arrangement changes. That is, if additional fees are added by the smuggler and force, fraud or coercion are used to gain them, if the smuggled individual no longer voluntarily participates in the arrangement, and/or if the smuggled individual is not free to leave.
Journalists interviewing survivors or law enforcement should pay attention to the terms their sources use. This is particularly true when interviewing survivors with low English proficiency, especially those whose first language is Spanish. Often the word used in western Spanish-speaking countries to signify human trafficking is el tráfico, rather than the internationally preferred la trata. However, Spanish speakers, including the media, will also use tráfico in reference to the smuggling of drugs, arms and people across international borders. Clarification is necessary for precision in reporting.
Even so, your sources may have difficulty discerning what is actually taking place—smuggling or trafficking, or some combination of the two, especially since these aren’t static events. Victims/survivors are often not aware of the distinction, and if they have been moved transnationally, for example, they may believe themselves to be guilty of participating in smuggling when in reality they might be victims of trafficking. Careful interviewing and gathering of evidence are essential to determine the phenomenon at hand.
- Smuggling involves the illicit movement of goods or people across a sovereign boundary and constitutes a crime against the state. If smuggling involves the movement of a person, the agreement made between the two parties is voluntary and might include a fee.
- Trafficking occurs when force, fraud or coercion are used to make a person perform sex or labor acts for profit. Movement of the person from one location to another might occur but is not required for it to rise to the level of trafficking, which is a violation of human rights and a crime against the individual.
Say More: What begins as smuggling may become trafficking if the arrangement changes. That is, if additional fees are added by the smuggler and force, fraud or coercion are used to gain them, if the smuggled individual no longer voluntarily participates in the arrangement, and/or if the smuggled individual is not free to leave.
Journalists interviewing survivors or law enforcement should pay attention to the terms their sources use. This is particularly true when interviewing survivors with low English proficiency, especially those whose first language is Spanish. Often the word used in western Spanish-speaking countries to signify human trafficking is el tráfico, rather than the internationally preferred la trata. However, Spanish speakers, including the media, will also use tráfico in reference to the smuggling of drugs, arms and people across international borders. Clarification is necessary for precision in reporting.
Even so, your sources may have difficulty discerning what is actually taking place—smuggling or trafficking, or some combination of the two, especially since these aren’t static events. Victims/survivors are often not aware of the distinction, and if they have been moved transnationally, for example, they may believe themselves to be guilty of participating in smuggling when in reality they might be victims of trafficking. Careful interviewing and gathering of evidence are essential to determine the phenomenon at hand.
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Nancy Hagan, PhD, is the Senior Human Trafficking Analyst for Project NO REST whose expertise includes coalition building and direct service with LEP Spanish-speaking individuals and community groups, in particular immigrants and farmworkers, around issues of labor and sex trafficking.
Email: nancye@email.unc.edu |
