People smuggling
On this page:
- Why people smuggling threatens all Australians
- People smuggling versus people trafficking
- Dealing with people smuggling
- An international effort
- More information
Why people smuggling threatens all Australians
People smugglers are individuals or groups who assist others to illegally enter a country. In the case of Australia, people smugglers provide air or sea access.
People smuggling is a major threat to all Australians because:
- there are serious security and criminal concerns when people arriving in Australia are not properly identified
- there are major quarantine and health risks involved in people bypassing normal immigration channels
- processing illegal immigrants creates significant logistical problems and costs, and
- it infringes Australia's sovereignty, giving us less control over our borders.
The laws surrounding people smuggling fall under section 232A of the Migration Act 1958.
People smuggling versus people trafficking
Although the terms 'people smuggling' and 'people trafficking' are often used interchangeably, they are different. People smugglers are paid by those who wish to enter a country illegally. The people wishing to migrate are involved voluntarily. People traffickers, on the other hand, use coercion and/or deception, to force people to illegally enter a country. Once the illegal immigrants are in place, people traffickers often continue to exploit them.
NB: There are instances where the distinctions between smuggling and trafficking are blurred.
Dealing with people smuggling
In 2000, the Australian Government established a People Smuggling Strike Team (PSST) which draws its members, including investigators, from the Australian Federal Police and Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
The PSST undertakes long-term investigations of major people smugglers. It has succeeded in bringing several smugglers before the courts in Australia and has worked with overseas law enforcement agencies in the prosecution of people smugglers, and the disruption of particular people smuggling boat ventures.
For details of past investigations, see pages 35 and 83-84 of the 2005-06 Annual Report (PDF, 616kB).
Funding for PSST has been extended to 2008.
An international effort
Given the trans-national nature of people smuggling, policing it demands a coordinated, international effort. The AFP Overseas Liaison Network shares information, and coordinates activity, with foreign law enforcement agencies.
The AFP also participates in a number of International Forums specifically created to address people smuggling. These include:
INTERPOL Operation Bridge (INTERPOL website)
The objectives of this operation are to identify people smuggling networks, assist member states in their investigations, and establish a contact network of specialised officers to exchange information more efficiently.
The Bali Process (Bali Process website)
This brings participants together to work on practical measures to help combat people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crimes in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Initiated at the "Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime" held in Bali in February 2002, the Bali Process follow-up is a collaborative effort participated in by over 50 countries and numerous international agencies.
Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (LECP)
The program is based around the international liaison officers network. Officers in the network form the link between countries, facilitating the exchange of information as well as enhancing communication and understanding by attending international conferences and seminars, promoting the LECP and building a rapport with law enforcement officers of host countries.
More information
- Sharing Experiences Platypus Sept 2005 (PDF, 551kb) An AFP recipient of the Prince of Wales Award studies people smuggling, border security and transnational crime initiatives in Canada.
- Characteristics of Chinese Human Smugglers (PDF, 308kb) National Institute of Justice (US) August 2004
- Managing the Border: Immigration Compliance June 2005 (DIAC website)
- Fact Sheet 70. Border Control (DIAC website)
