Event Date
Speaker: David Kyle
Affiliation: Associate Professor of Sociology, UC Davis
Abstract: Building on previous editions in 2001 and 2011, editors Luigi Achilli (EUI, Florence) and David Kyle (UC Davis) provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of the entrenched and complex phenomenon of migrant smuggling, a global issue that has proven resistant to efforts at containment and often exacerbated by those very attempts. This volume gathers contributions that delve into the multifaceted nature of human smuggling across different regions, tracing its historical, social, economic, and cultural origins while also considering its significant political ramifications.
The book highlights the diversity of motivations behind migrant smuggling—from aiding individuals fleeing persecution to the exploitation by criminal syndicates—and the varied reasons migrants themselves have for crossing borders. With a focus organized around the themes of control, complexity, and creativity, this third edition broadens its scope with nineteen new contributors, offering a cutting-edge account of current smuggling networks, governmental and multinational responses, and the portrayal of human smuggling within broader migration narratives. This edition not only updates the field of human smuggling research but also provides a nuanced, research-based conceptual framework for understanding a pressing issue that affects lives globally, challenging simplistic moral judgments with its in-depth analysis.
"It is rare to see a volume evolve through editions in this way—new contributors, new approaches, an entirely new iteration. This third edition is not just keeping up with a rapidly changing field, it is setting the agenda. The first edition defined the problem, the second edition updated our understanding, and this third edition is now finding solutions. An invaluable resource.”
— Khalid Koser, Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund