NCJ Number
191760
Journal
Gazette Volume: 63 Issue: 3 Dated: 2001 Pages: 19-23
Date Published
2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the nature and strategies of organized criminal groups that are involved in migrant smuggling that impacts Canada, as well as Canada's response.
Abstract
Improvements in transportation and communications have increased the mobility options of migrants and migrant smugglers, although they have not reduced the risks. Technology-facilitated production of high-quality fraudulent travel and identity documents is a major industry that fuels illegal human migration, and illegal entry into North America is increasing. The primary incentive for all organized criminal groups is profit, and alien smuggling makes money; globally, smugglers make an estimated $9.5 billion per year. A criminal organization will charge a potential migrant as much as $70,000 to facilitate illegal travel to North America. Since July 1999, Canadian authorities have intercepted numerous ships that were attempting to land illegal Chinese migrants on the coast of British Columbia. The organization of Chinese alien smuggling centers on the Province of Fujian on China's south coast. Fujian Province has a distinct language and a sea-based smuggling tradition, along with a history of institutionalized piracy. A key feature of the operation of criminal groups out of Fujian Province is guanxi, which is a cultural tradition that involves two-way agreements in which each party has the right to request a service from the other. In Chinese society, conflict is resolved by guanxi bonds and the concept of face. This article describes the organization of alien smuggling from China and Eastern Europe. The RCMP Immigration and Passport Program is the criminal enforcement arm of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This program aims to combat and eradicate organized migrant smuggling by working in concert with domestic and foreign agencies and communities in three enforcement priorities: combating criminal organizations involved in smuggling illegal migrants to Canada; deterring unscrupulous or illegal activity by professional immigration facilitators; and the timely acquisition and sharing of information and intelligence to enhance the national program strategy. 3 notes