Essay Example on Human Trafficking vs. Human Smuggling: A Closer Look

Introduction

Human trafficking and smuggling are two different terms that get mostly used interchangeably, though mean two different things. Both are types of crime. On the one hand, human trafficking refers to the exploitation of human beings for commercial sexual or labor exploitation. The commercial sex gets induced by fraud, force, involves under 18 or coercion (Zhang, 2007). Individuals used in trafficking get forced, thus fail to volunteer like in smuggling. Human smuggling, on the other hand, refers to the service provider normally fraudulent of transportation to a human being who voluntarily accepts to gain illegal entry to another country. The study is limited to illustrating the differences that exist between human trafficking and smuggling.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Human trafficking gets classified under exploitation offences which do not necessarily involve transportation o border movements. Smuggling includes unlawful transportation of individuals into another country. Smuggling undermines the integrity of the country's border. Thus, smuggling offences are transportation based (Içduygu & Toktas, 2002). The main difference between the two offences also is based on freedom of choice. In trafficking, since individuals get forced to offer their labor and services, individuals have no freedom to choose what they want. In smuggling, it is a different story since the individuals enter into an arrangement of which it gets terminated once the individual crosses the border.

There are instances where human smuggling can be trafficking. It is in cases where an individual gets smuggled and then gets forced and held into sex or labor trade. Such cases are get experienced where the smuggler refuses to release and give them their credentials or even in cases where there is a debt that needs to be paid by the individual (Aronowitz, 2009). In trafficking an individual gets restricted to performing tasks their style but have to follow strict rules. Human trafficking is said to be the modern method of enslaving individuals (Içduygu & Toktas, 2002).

Case Study of Human Trafficking

Janes’s story of sex trafficking that got published on the spot the traffic website on 25th June 2018 is an excellent example of a human trafficking case (Içduygu & Toktas, 2002). According to the case, Jane, a young American girl was only 14 years when she happened to meet Daniel coincidentally while she was heading home from school. The friend's Jane was with left, but Jane saw nothing of a big deal entertaining a stranger. Daniel knew how to make Jane fall for him by the way he showered her with sweet words. Things took a turn around while Daniel invited Jane back to the motel. Daniel pushed Jane into a car and locked the car doors such that Jane could not come out of it. Daniel scuffed her face such that she could not scream and without wasting time, he injected her with a sleeping drug such that she fell unconscious.

In times where Jane found conscious, Daniel was back with his “good man act” where he showered her with sweet words. Jane felt she had over judged Daniel's intention, and she decided to get swayed by his sweet words again. Jane's body was in pain, but she forced herself to walk. Yet she was forcefully taken through the stairs to a motel room, where she got thrown on the bed. She was very weak even to move. Her phone had gotten taken away from her such that she could not make contact with anyone outside.

Next day Jane’s arms were much bruised, but there was nothing that she could do. In 2 days, Jane slept with ten men. There was no hope for her at the moment, so she had to act along. However, one evening, an observant staff was checking the motel when the observant noticed the many phones that were in Daniel’s bag. Jane got spotted along with other imprisoned women of her age who had also gotten tricked. The rescuer took the young women into a safe house where they received support and made to rest. The women are encouraged to take the case to the authorities where they will receive justice.

In the above case study, there were signs of human trafficking all through though Jane and her colleagues were too blind to see. Firstly, the first sign is when the young girl found herself with an old man whom they had no relation with. The second sign is when the man engages the girl into drinking. Sign three is when the man entices the girl and instructs her to meet her in a motel room. Taking her phone away from her was the next sign. Abusing her emotionally and physically is the next sign of human trafficking.

Such stories are very common with young girls who get lured by men. Young girls get trapped and fall for false promises. Young girls should be educated on the various signs of human trafficking to avoid falling into their trap. From the above case, it can get seen that Jane got forced into coming sexual acts against her will. Despite being willing to push along with Daniel initially, she did so due to the lure she got from Daniel. According to the United States law, any minor who gets engaged in a human trafficking issue gets considered as a victim of trafficking.

Case Study of Human Smuggling

Marianna's case study is an excellent example of a human smuggling case. The case got published on the British Columbia website in 2014. Marianna was a Mexican poor young lady who by herself had to raise two children and at the same time, pay for her father's medical bill. She came along an advertisement from a newspaper of an Agency which was involved in taking individuals for jobs in Canada, and she got interested. She decided to follow up and finally met with the agents involved (Province of British Columbia, 2014). She got asked to pay some money so that she can get secured a job in Canada. She got promised a good salary of which was three much more than she was receiving in Mexico.

Marianna was very eager for the job that she wasted no time. She arrived in Canada where she got picked by a man to her house where she was to shelter. Her details got taken from her for "safekeeping", and a woman directed her to her new job which was contrary to what she had agreed upon. Her job was involved in illegal drugs production. Marianna had gotten tricked to coming to Canada to work for an illegal drug (Province of British Columbia, 2014). She got forced to work by the circumstances and the responsibilities she had like paying the house bills and taking care of her family. When Marianna tried enquiring for her passport, she got denied the freedom of having it and instead got threatened of getting killed. The knowledge she had of them was too much that they did not want to risk releasing her.

From the above case, it gets seen clearly that Marinna's case was human smuggling since first she got transported to another country with her consent. She got not forced to doing it since they signed an agreement of her getting taken to Canada. She was taken to Canada to perform an illegal business though promised otherwise (Province of British Columbia, 2014). At Canada, her credentials got taken from her, and when she asked for them, she got threatened of getting killed. Thus, all those facts proved that the case was smuggling involved.

Conclusion

From the above illustrations, it is evident that human smuggling and trafficking are two different terms that have a very distinct meaning. Human trafficking is where the individual gets forced to offering a service or into sex. Human smuggling is when an individual willingly volunteers to provide their services and involves transportation from one country to the other,

References

Aronowitz, A. A. (2009). Human trafficking, human misery: The global trade in human beings. Greenwood Publishing Group. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=zslQ54Z4ZzQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=human+trafficking+and+smauggling+differences&ots=GkpkHhrA6T&sig=Ldy9usVGA6FZ6HSax5UWtYY3ptg

Içduygu, A., & Toktas, S. (2002). How do smuggling and trafficking operate via irregular border crossings in the Middle East? Evidence from fieldwork in Turkey. International migration, 40(6), 25-54. http://repository.bilkent.edu.tr/bitstream/handle/11693/48342/How_do_Smuggling_and_Trafficking_Operate_via_Irregular_Border%2CCrossing_in_the_Middle_East_Evidence_from_Fieldwork_in_Turkey.pdf?sequence=1

Zhang, S. X. (2007). Smuggling and trafficking in human beings. All roads lead to. http://www.criminal-lawyer.org.uk/reviews_2007_Smuggling_and_Trafficking_in_Human_Beings.pdf

Province of British Columbia. (2014).Human Trafficking Case Study 1: Marianna https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/human-trafficking/human-trafficking-training/module-1/case-study-1-marianna