2016/09/01 by Javier Hidalgo · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Political Philosophy and Ethics #Global Security and Public Health #Migration, Refugees, and Integration
paper · doi:10.1080/17449626.2016.1245676
openalex publication_date 2016/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
People smugglers help transport migrants across international borders without authorization and in return for compensation. Many people object to people smuggling and believe that the smuggling of migrants is an evil trade. In this paper, I offer a qualified defense of people smuggling. In particular, I argue that people smuggling that assists refugees in escaping threats to their rights can be morally justified. I then rebut the objections that people smugglers exploit migrants, have defective motivations, and wrongly violate the law. My conclusion is that people smuggling is sometimes a permissible way of helping refugees to evade unjust immigration restrictions and compelling states to bear their fair share of the global refugee population.