The trafficking of people is now a phenomenon that is becoming an increasing priority on many European countries’ political and social agendas. Considered by the United Nations to be the third most lucrative illegal activity in existence (the first and second being arms and drug trafficking), it has become much more prevalent, to the extent that it is now a transnational activity that affects 127 countries of origin and 137 transit or destination countries, with an estimated number of victims that fluctuates between 600,000 and 800,000. Dealing with this illegal activity (which, being an "invisible" activity, makes the work of governments, international organisations and civil society much more difficult) has become more important in recent years, at the same time as the debate has grown on migration policies. This work, which portrays the different origins and destinations on the people-trafficking routes around the world, stresses the importance of avoiding terminological confusion between the smuggling of migrants and the trafficking of people, and particularly when it comes to drafting policies to deal with these phenomena. In addition to the recommendations for prevention, processing and protection made by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in 2006, the European Union, United Nations and other countries have also opted for responses that emphasise the importance of regional and international cooperation in dealing with the problem.

ISSN: 1132-6107

56 pp.

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