Human smuggling: A global migration industry

Facilitating movement across international borders that is not authorized by the state, often referred to as human smuggling, is a growing business, involving individuals, institutions, humanitarian groups, private companies, and transnational criminal organizations. Although the body of academic literature is growing, there is relatively little work on theoretical and conceptual aspects around human smuggling. This chapter provides an overview of various readings of the literature on human smuggling and argues for more comprehensive understandings of this complex global phenomena. It distinguishes between a transnational market perspective, a socio-historical and political perspective emphasizing the wider embeddedness of human smuggling, and a more individual, human rights perspective. The chapter argues that the migrant’s perspective is not paid enough attention in the broader debate, and that the gap with the broader story around criminalization and securitization of borders is widening.