Trafficking in human beings, from the dark web to social media platforms: the new work tools of human traffickers

ROME – Migrant smugglers are increasingly using social media and instant messaging applications such as whatsapp to promote and provide their illegal services, according to a study published by theInternational Organization for Migration (IOM extension) and focused on Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Central America. The study highlighted how digital technology has made it easier for traffickers to exchange money, goods and information and at the same time has complicated the intervention of the judicial authority and police investigations. Most of this illegal activity is done through easily accessible platforms and through commonly used applications rather than on the dark weba group of hidden Internet sites accessible only through a special browser, to keep online activity anonymous and private, often in support of illegal activities, but not only: in some cases it is used to circumvent the censorship imposed by their government.

The context. The region of Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic is, due to its geographical position, one of the main transit routes for thousands of migrants trying to cross the southern border of the United States of America. This aspect, together with the difficulties that the aforementioned countries experience in terms of security, the administration of justice and the protection of migrants, has led to a significant number of people falling into migrant smuggling networks (TIM). Number that has grown further during the pandemic due to the restrictions on travel.

Migrant routes. The Global Study on Migrant Smuggling of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Prevention (UNODC, 2018) found that, as in other regions, migrant smuggling routes in the Americas are flexible and subject to rapid and significant change. However, two major predominant pathways can be distinguished. The first connects flows from Central and South America, first with Mexico and finally with the United States and Canada. The second is a multi-destination route between countries in the same region.

Advertising on social networks. They shoot videos of successful transfers and then post them on social networks to promote their services. Digital marketing has now become a specialty even for smugglers. Thanks to social networks, traffickers find customers and aspiring migrants find traffickers. In this way they connect, share information, organize and participate in trips to go from one country to another. Instant messaging and real-time geolocation technologies also make it easier to plan and execute your trip.

The witness. “At the beginning of my journey I was not allowed to contact the smuggler to avoid communications tracing,” a migrant in transit through Mexico told IOM. “But once I arrived in the city, I shared my location with the smugglers in real time and they guided me via a messaging app to get me to my destination.”

I study. For the dossier, theInternational Organization for Migration interviewed 531 migrants in transit between Central America, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. 64 percent of respondents traveled with a smartphone and an Internet connection. The results show that the majority of migrants between the ages of twenty-six and thirty-five use technologies during the crossing, while those over forty-six use them less. 47 percent of male migrants used social networks to plan their departure against 35 percent of women. Only 18 percent of respondents confirmed that they have not used any type of technology.

The fight against organized crime. The increase in migratory flows in the region of Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic has led a significant number of migrants to risk using the services of migrant smuggling networks (TIM) to cross international borders or to move around transit countries, denounces the IOM. In the region, the recruitment of migrants is usually an attractive activity as the perceived profits are always higher than the costs. That is why various efforts have been made to combat this crime. One of the most relevant is the preparation of the Work Plan on Migrant Smuggling 2019-2025 within the framework of the Regional Conference for Migration (CRM). Similarly, operations led by Interpol with the support of other international organizations were born, the main objective of which is to combat the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings in the participating countries.