International migrations and human smuggling: a legal analysis of its social and humanitarian consequences

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present a socio-legal analysis and the most important consequences of human smuggling across the globe. The issue of human smuggling becomes and area of international cooperation and humanitarian assistance for more than forty years. The firtst part of this article analyses the current scale of human smuggling worldwide. The practice of people smuggling has seen a rise over the past few decades and today now accounts for a significant portion of irregular immigration in countries around the world. People smuggling generally takes place with the consent of the person or persons being smuggled, and common reasons for individuals seeking to be smuggled include employment and economic opportunity, personal and/or familial betterment, and escape from persecution, violence or conflict. The Convention of Palermo, adopted in 2000 is considered the most important international law instrument against human smuggling.