How is human trafficking different than human smuggling?
Human smuggling is the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a person(s) across an international border, in violation of one or more countries laws, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents. Human smuggling is usually completed with the consent of the person(s) being smuggled, who may pay large sums of money. Once in the country of their final destination the persons who were smuggled will generally go their own way. Human trafficking may involve an element of smuggling. The distinguishing factor, however, is that trafficking specifically targets the trafficked person as an object of criminal exploitation. Once in the country of their final destination, the trafficked person is not allowed their freedom. Another important distinction is that human trafficking does not always involve the crossing of an international border – it does not even require the transportation of victims from one locale to another.