Human trafficking and migration are deeply intertwined. While not all migrants are trafficked, many trafficking victims are migrants—both documented and undocumented. The policies that govern immigration can either help protect vulnerable populations or unintentionally create the conditions that traffickers exploit. Understanding this connection is crucial for developing effective anti-trafficking strategies and creating humane immigration policies that reduce the risk of exploitation.

How Immigration Status Creates Vulnerability

Migrants often leave their home countries in search of safety, opportunity, or a better life. But when legal pathways are limited or inaccessible, people may turn to smugglers or unregulated channels to reach their destinations. Traffickers often pose as labor recruiters or transportation facilitators, targeting those who are desperate and unaware of the risks. Once in a new country, migrants with uncertain legal status may face threats of deportation, language barriers, and isolation, making them less likely to report abuse or seek help.

For example, individuals on temporary work visas may feel compelled to remain in exploitative jobs to maintain their legal status. Others who are undocumented may avoid seeking medical attention, law enforcement assistance, or even shelter for fear of immigration enforcement. This fear creates a climate in which traffickers can operate with little risk of being reported.¹

The Impact of Restrictive Immigration Policies

Restrictive immigration policies can inadvertently increase the risk of trafficking. When borders are tightly controlled but safe, legal avenues for migration are limited, people fleeing poverty, violence, or natural disasters often find themselves with no lawful way to move. This vacuum is frequently filled by traffickers and smugglers who offer dangerous and deceptive alternatives.

Criminalizing undocumented migration can also exacerbate the problem. Policies that prioritize detention and deportation over protection discourage victims from coming forward. Traffickers use this fear to maintain control, threatening to report victims to immigration authorities if they resist or try to escape.

In some cases, policies that fail to monitor or regulate recruitment practices contribute directly to trafficking. For example, labor recruitment in sectors like agriculture, domestic work, and construction is often outsourced to third parties, many of whom charge illegal fees or confiscate documents. Without government oversight or legal protections for migrant workers, these practices can amount to labor trafficking.

Policies That Can Prevent Trafficking

While some immigration policies increase vulnerability, others can play a key role in prevention and protection. Providing legal pathways for migration—such as work visas, asylum programs, and refugee resettlement—reduces the demand for irregular migration and limits traffickers’ opportunities to exploit people in desperate circumstances.

Policies that offer protection to trafficking survivors regardless of immigration status are equally important. Non-punitive immigration relief, such as T visas (for victims of human trafficking) or U visas (for victims of certain crimes) in the United States, allows victims to safely report crimes and access support services without the fear of deportation. These protections not only help survivors rebuild their lives but also aid law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting traffickers.

Governments can also collaborate across borders to address the root causes of migration—such as poverty, conflict, and corruption—and to strengthen protections for migrants in transit. Training immigration officers to identify trafficking indicators and ensuring that border policies include human rights safeguards are additional steps that can make a difference.

Conclusion

Human trafficking and migration intersect in complex and often invisible ways. To effectively combat trafficking, we must recognize how immigration policies shape vulnerability. A balanced approach—one that combines secure borders with humanitarian protections and legal migration opportunities—can disrupt trafficking networks and safeguard the rights and dignity of all people on the move.

At New Hope Foundation International, we believe that raising awareness about these connections is vital to prevention. By educating the public and policymakers, we can work toward a future where migration is safe, legal, and free from exploitation.

Citation

1. McAuliffe, M., P. Rojas Coppari, M.J.A. Shavazi, and O.A. Maunganidze (2024). Migration and Human Security:  Unpacking Myths and Examining New Realities and Responses. In:  World Migration Report 2024 (M. McAuliffe and L.A. Oucho, Eds.  pp. 16). International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva.