The Challenge

Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are global and widespread crimes that affect men, women, and children in different ways. While sometimes linked, these are separate crimes that pose serious threat to human rights, human security, development, and the rule of law in West and Central Africa. There are several different sub-regional patterns of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. These crimes are continuously changing. Traffickers and smugglers exploit factors that make countries and persons increasingly vulnerable to these crimes. Trafficking in persons has different purposes, including sexual exploitation, labor exploitation (e.g., in mines, agriculture, domestic work) forced begging, and organ removal. In contrast to human trafficking which can take place both domestically and internationally, migrant smuggling is a crime that takes place only across borders. It consists in assisting migrants to enter or stay in a country illegally, for a financial or material gain. Smugglers make a profitable business out of migrants' need and/or desire to travel across countries and the lack of safe and regular ways to do so.

Opening of the 4th Niamey Declaration High level meeting to combat smuggling of migrants & trafficking in persons in Rome

La délégation mauritanienne en visite au Comité National de lutte contre la traite des personnes (CNLTP) Sénégal

Peindre Le Silence : Histoires Sur Le Handicap Et La Traite Au Mali

Le Mali lance un Plan d'action national de lutte contre la traite des personnes 2023-2027 avec l’appui de l’OIM et de l’ONUDC

Painting the silence: stories about disability and trafficking

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WHAT WE DO

UNODC enhances the capacities of Governments and civil society to effectively identify, prevent and combat trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling by targeting organized criminal groups while, at the same time, protecting the rights of victims of trafficking in persons and smuggled migrants. UNODC’s work takes different forms, aiming to:

Strengthen the legislative and policy frameworks;
Enhance capacities in identification, investigation and prosecution of trafficking in persons and migrants smuggling cases as well as the protection of trafficked victims and smuggled migrants;

Increase data on the nature, dynamics, patterns and scale of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling;
Increase awareness on both crimes;
Enhance cooperation on national, regional and international levels to address trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling in a sustainable manner.