People turn to smugglers through family and personal networks once migration feels unavoidable. Smugglers rarely influence whether to migrate — but they shape the choice of routes, costs, and risks for profit. The following is taken from the report ‘How Smuggling Really Works’ by the Mixed Migration Centre.
Drivers and Motivations
The absence of legal migration avenues, coupled with recommendations from personal networks, significantly influences the decision to engage the services of smugglers. It is noteworthy that coercion by smugglers is relatively uncommon. While smugglers typically do not dictate the decision to migrate, once that decision is made, they play a crucial role in determining travel routes and supplying pertinent information regarding the journey.
Only 6 percent of 80,000 migrants interviewed said smugglers influenced their decision to migrate, with nearly half deciding independently and most others influenced by friends and family, challenging the narrative that smugglers drive migration.
Chloe Sydney, expert at MMC: “the absence of alternative border restrictions is not necessarily breaking the smuggling business but rather boosting it. And when we speak to people on the move and we ask them why they hired a smuggler, we see that generally they think it will make traveling easier. 44 percent of migrants hired smugglers to make traveling easier, while 39 percent saw no alternatives to irregular migration, demonstrating that the absence of safe and legal pathways directly fuels smuggling demand.”
61 percent of 450 smugglers interviewed reported increased demand in the past year, with over a third attributing this directly to stricter border measures, proving restrictive policies boost rather than reduce smuggling.
Financial gain is the primary motivation for smugglers; however, some individuals express a desire to assist those in transit. Most smugglers enter this line of work through social connections, with smuggling often serving as a primary source of income that surpasses other local economic opportunities.
Operations and Structures
Smuggling operations are prevalent on a global scale, though specific practices differ based on various routes. Refugees and migrants are more inclined to seek the aid of smugglers when confronting lengthy and hazardous journeys, particularly those involving maritime crossings. The reliance on smugglers tends to be more pronounced among individuals fleeing insecurity, conflict, or restrictions on rights and freedoms.
Typically, clients are either referred to smugglers by family or friends or initiate contact independently. Direct solicitation by smugglers is infrequent; however, such approaches correlate with heightened risks. Stricter border enforcement not only fuels the demand for smuggling but also leads to adaptations in routes as smuggling networks seek to bypass enhanced regulations.
Only 21 percent of refugees and migrants identify smugglers as perpetrators, which means that indeed smugglers are often responsible for some of the risks and harms experienced by people on the move. But there are many other perpetrators who are cited in fact, more often than smugglers. For instance, the criminal gangs feature much more, much more prominently, as do also the military and police,” said Chloe Sydney.
The increased risks stemming from tighter border controls often result in soaring fees, though such costs can vary significantly by route. Smugglers frequently require partial pre-payment and may resort to detention as a means of enforcing payment. Furthermore, state officials are often complicit in smuggling activities, typically in exchange for a fee, which further complicates the risks confronted by refugees and migrants.
Impacts and Outcomes
Many smugglers operate with relative impunity; even when apprehended, perpetrators often evade prolonged detention through bribery. Individuals who engage smugglers face increased risks, primarily due to their choice of perilous routes. Statistical analyses indicate that the use of smugglers is strongly associated with a heightened likelihood of encountering adverse incidents during the journey, independent of the route taken or other influencing factors.
Refugees and migrants perceive smugglers in dual light—as both perpetrators of harm and vital protectors—illustrating their ambiguous role in migration facilitation alongside the potential dangers they pose. While most individuals who utilized smugglers believe they met their objectives with their assistance, opinions diverge regarding the honesty of smugglers about the associated risks.
“If governments provided safe migration, people would go to safe places legally without without having to take many risk,” 56-year-old Afghan man in Pakistan.
Users of smuggling services tend to harbor more negative perceptions of migration than those who opted not to employ smugglers. This disparity likely reflects the more complex and perilous journeys that prompted their initial decision to seek out smugglers for assistance.
