Social media and instant messaging applications are being used by people smugglers to promote and provide their illegal services, according to a new study.

The research found that digital technology has made it easier for migrant smugglers to exchange money, goods, and information and that most of these activities occur on commonly used services and applications rather than on the dark web.

The study, published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), says smugglers use social media and video platforms to promote their services by sharing short videos of successful crossings.

It says social networks also play a critical role in connecting migrants and smugglers, allowing them to interact and share information. Instant messaging and real-time geolocation technologies facilitate journey planning and execution.  

“In the desert, I was not allowed to contact the smuggler to avoid communications tracking,” a migrant in transit in Mexico told the report’s authors. “Once I got to the town, I shared my real-time with the smugglers and they guided me via messaging apps.”

The study surveyed 531 migrants in transit in the region, of which 64 per cent had access to a smartphone and the internet during their journey.

The results showed that migrants between 26 and 35 years old use these technologies often during their journey, while those over 46 hardly use them.

The study also found that 47 per cent of male migrants and 35 per cent of female migrants use social networks, while 18 per cent of those surveyed said they did not use them.

The study highlights the challenges authorities face in responding to this changing landscape, such as limited resources and capabilities in the field and gaps in legal frameworks, but it also recognises the potential for information and communication technologies (ICTs) to be a tool in countering criminal activities related to human trafficking.

It study emphasises the role of ICTs in empowering migrants and guaranteeing access to verified information at all stages of the migration cycle.

IOM spokesperson Melanie Gomez said the study would help authorities to develop strategies to fight people smuggling.

“We are confident that the information developed in the study will help decision-makers in Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic to establish lines of action on the resources and strengthen capacities to fight against migrant smuggling in a coordinated and effective manner, guaranteeing the protection and well-being of migrants,” she said.

Read more here: Trafficking in persons | Western Hemisphere Program (iom.int)