Migrant Smuggling Data and Research

The following sections provide the overviews of the situations of migrant
smuggling in North-East Asia, data collection and research methodologies,
followed by a critical review of the current literature in the field. Key limitations
and challenges in pursuing scientific research with reliable data are analysed. In
concluding, a few examples of good practices are outlined.
Overview of migrant smuggling in the region
Estimates of smuggled migrants
The biggest smuggled migrant population in and out of North-East Asia is
the mainland Chinese who use illegal channels to move to more developed and
welfare States in Europe, North America or Australia. Approximately 36,000 and
12,000 Chinese irregular migrants entered the European Union and the United
States in 2010 respectively (UNODC, 2013, 2015). The Canadian Border Services
Agency recently estimated that 92 per cent of all Chinese irregular migrants
arriving in Canada engaged a smuggler at some stage during their journey
(UNODC, 2015).
Table 10.2: Chinese nationals detected attempting illegal entry
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
First half
of 2013
Canada Total 613 717 1,013 1,237 1,479 400
By land 6 27 11 10 7 7
By sea 4 9 4 7 3 4
By air 603 681 998 1,220 1,469 389
France Total 3,560 1,576 361 267 239 186
Germany Total 1,308 1,434 1,045 800 938
Italy Total 323 316 250 128 177 86
By land 176 155 75 62 40 11
By sea 5 3 1
By air 142 158 175 66 136 75
Philippines Total 1,273 768
By air 1,273 768
Thailand Total 604 620 336 271 302 384
Source: Recreated from UNODC, 2015.
North Korean migrant smuggling takes mixed forms of irregular and regular
migration through China and South-East Asia to South Korea (Song 2013, 2015b).
Between 2006 and 2011, more than 2,000 North Koreans entered South Korea
Migrant Smuggling Data and Research:
A global review of the emerging evidence base
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