What are the intended/unintended consequences of anti-smuggling and anti-trafficking policies?
Anti-smuggling policies implemented in countries of transit often fail to take into account the complex nature between a smuggler and a migrant, a central theme in last year’s roundtable. Samuel Hall’s research on smuggling of migrants to Canada, which uses an ecosystem approach, shows that smugglers act as both a support system and as those that exploit migrants, especially in transit. It also demonstrates that migrants in transit are usually too scared to approach law enforcement officials for help, as the latter were seen as key perpetrators of exploitative practices. Migrants also expressed a desire to ‘not have any trouble with the law’.
Most anti-smuggling policies appear to be narrow and one sided, and do not factor in the abuse perpetrated by law enforcement officials.
