The trade in people in and from the former Soviet Union

This paper focuses on the trafficking and smuggling of human beings from and through the former Soviet Union. It explores the reasons for the rise in the illegal movement of people; the groups which facilitate it; the demographics of the people who are moved and the business side, including the profits, the disposition of profits and the use of corruption to facilitate the trade. With the disintegration of state control over national territory, this mass movement of people often violates national laws and the national sovereignty of the countries of the Soviet successor states and the countries where the former Soviet citizens move illegally. The paper concludes that this trade mirrors and contributes to the overall downward development of the post-Soviet economies. In contrast, a comparative look at the respective Chinese developments indicates that trade in human beings tends to facilitate the growth of both the Chinese legitimate and illegitimate economies.