WHAT IS MEANT BY
"HUMAN TRAFFICKING"?

By Karien v/d Merwe
Information provided by Interpol NCB, Pretoria

In his acceptance speech, National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, the first African ever to be elected as the President of Interpol, said that one of his priorities was to strengthen the weaker regions among Interpol’s 182 member countries. Commissioner Selebi vowed to serve all the members of the international policing community in every area of crime fighting. One crime trend he mentioned in particular was human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a subject that divides those who come into contact with it. Much of the concern expressed about its causes and consequences has been emotional. A father in rural South-East Asia might justify selling his underage daughter as a way to pay for the next few meals for the remaining members of his starving family. He might even think he is giving his child a future with better prospects. An observer might dwell on the plight of women and children who are trafficked into prostitution and minimal wage work in sweatshops.

Criminal organizations have become involved in human trafficking to such an extent that some observers put the trade on a par with drugs and arms smuggling in terms of its profitability and perniciousness. Governments have announced measures to control what they deem to be an assault on their borders. ⁽¹⁾

The role of Interpol
The main aim of Interpol is to promote the widest possible mutual assistance between police authorities. It provides a structured platform for raising awareness, building competence and identifying best practices within law enforcement worldwide. It is a forum for exchanging information on current trends and investigations. Trafficking in human beings is considered one of the top priorities of Interpol. Only by ascertaining the true character of trafficking, can the police hope to adapt appropriate measures against it.

Researchers use a number of definitions and expressions to describe the “smuggling of migrants” and the “trafficking in human beings”. Effective law enforcement asks for consensus among policing authorities about what these terms mean. It is important to note that Interpol South Africa did not coin its own definitions for these issues. The official definitions are derived from the protocols supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, and are as follows:

“*Smuggling of migrants: shall mean the procurement, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit, of the illegal entry of a person into a State Party of which the person is not a national or a permanent resident.

*Trafficking in persons: shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

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Interpol’s aim is to provide a unique range of essential services for the law enforcement community to optimize the international effort to combat crime. It is hoped that the publication of the official definitions will assist police officials in correctly preparing charge sheets where the smuggling of migrants or the trafficking in persons is suspected.

^(1.) Perspectives on Trafficking of Migrants: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Foundation Against Trafficking in Women, International Human Rights Law Group, Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Human Rights Standards for the Treatment of Trafficked Persons. GAATW: 1999.