How widespread is human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Latin America and the Caribbean? And other questions answered

© UPEACE

Monument to Disarmament, Work and Peace by Cuban artist Thelvia Marín at the UPEACE headquarters in Costa Rica.

Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are horrific and widespread crimes that occur in every region of the world. Here are seven key questions and answers that will help us better understand these crimes and their specificities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

1. How prevalent is human trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean?

In 2020 alone, authorities in 25 countries in the region identified and reported approximately 4,300 victims of human trafficking to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

That year, the average number of victims in South America per 100,000 inhabitants was approximately 0.9, while in Central America and the Caribbean it was 0.64 per 100,000 inhabitants.

But these numbers only reflect what is discovered. Human trafficking is often hidden and underreported, and its true scale is likely much greater, probably involving millions of people.

2. What is the relationship between human trafficking and human smuggling?

Victims in Latin America are primarily trafficked domestically – within the same country. Similarly, traffickers are primarily citizens of the country where they were convicted.

Yet in 2020, about 25 percent of victims came from elsewhere, some from neighboring countries, others from distant regions.

According to UNODC estimates, between 200,000 and 400,000 migrants from Central America are smuggled into the United States via Mexico each year.

Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing poverty or violence in the Americas. Sometimes they have an illegal migration status and many of them end up in the hands of human traffickers.

Migrants can be deceived, coerced or forced by criminals into exploitative situations, such as forced labour for little or no pay.

3. Why are people trafficked and smuggled?

Human trafficking and smuggling are often fueled by poverty, inequality, gun violence, crime, political instability, natural disasters and other factors causing displacement and vulnerability, such as climate change.

These factors create desperation and force people to look for opportunities – sometimes abroad – which can lead to exploitation.

4. Who are the victims of human trafficking?

A significant proportion of victims of human trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean are women and girls.

In South America, women account for 45 percent of detected trafficking victims, while girls make up another 15 percent. Meanwhile, in Central America and the Caribbean, the picture is alarming: girls make up the majority – 52 percent – ​​of detected trafficking victims, while women account for 30 percent.

The primary purpose of human trafficking is sexual exploitation and forced labor. Exploitation mainly takes place in nightclubs, unofficial brothels, hotels, apartments and bars.

5. Who are the human traffickers?

Cases collected by UNODC show a pattern of small groups targeting women for sexual exploitation.

Victims are recruited through deception to work in nightclubs and other venues, only to find themselves being exploited and under constant surveillance and control.

Traffickers can operate alone, in loose networks, as business organisations or as part of highly organised, hierarchical criminal groups.

6. Who are the smugglers?

When it comes to smuggling, most perpetrators in America have no criminal history and operate on a small scale through personal connections.

Major criminal groups do not appear to be involved much in smuggling, although they do profit from it by levying a ‘tax’ on the passage of migrants.

7. How does UNODC contribute to the training of experts in human trafficking and smuggling in Latin America?