Trafficking journeys through international borders

IOM case data indicated that 79 per cent of internationally trafficked persons were trafficked through official border control points.^[1] 84 per cent of female victims are trafficked through official border points, 11 per cent more frequently as compared to males (73%). Meanwhile, 80 per cent of adults were trafficked through official border points, contrasting with 56 per cent of children.

Among victims trafficked through official border control points, 23 per cent are trafficked without having their own documents and another nine per cent are trafficked using forged documents.^[2]

The main transport modes used for official border crossings are buses (34%), trains (33%), and planes (20%). In comparison, trafficking routes passing through non-official border points primarily used cars (28%), buses (26%), or trains (15%).

Nearly 80 per cent of victims trafficked through official border control points travel in groups. In 62 per cent of cases, victims travelling in groups are exploited at some point during their journey. When travelling in groups through official border points, victims are more likely to use buses or trains (around 40%) than planes (11%).

^[1] This data story describes the demographic profiles of internationally trafficked persons crossing through official or non-official border control points. Click here to delve into the trafficking experience of these victims.

^[2] Victims crossing non-official border points might use forged documents for secondary inspections, travel within the country, future use at official points, or as part of perpetrators’ strategy to avoid detection. However, further research is needed to evaluate these hypotheses.