trafficking in persons

USAGE SUMMARY

'trafficking in persons' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe the illegal practice of buying, selling, and/or transporting people for exploitation in forced labor or sexual exploitation. For example, "The police uncovered a criminal network involved in trafficking in persons."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

DRUGS AND TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 14. (S) Narcotics and trafficking in persons remain areas of difficulty.

The Guardian

In 2012 she received a Trafficking in Persons Hero award.

The Guardian

The first trafficking in persons report was released in 2001, and was not very impressive.

The Guardian

The Trafficking in Persons report 2013and Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking outline ambitious government strategies.

The Guardian

Last week the US launched its 13th annual trafficking in persons report.

The Guardian

As also did the reclassification of Qatar to the Tier 2 Watch List for Trafficking in Persons.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

We wouldn't even have to start from scratch, as USAID has already produced an agency-specific Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy on which we could build.

Huffington Post

UNICEF is contributing to ongoing legislative review and drafting processes around the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law.

Unicef

"Countries get rated by the US Trafficking in Persons report on their records in dealing with trafficking," said Rees, "for which you need to show results.

The Guardian

"The State Department has said that the effectiveness of the Center for Combatting Trafficking in Persons will be judged by the number of prosecutions," he told me.

The New Yorker

Trafficking in persons also known as modern slavery is a crime that undermines the most basic rights of an individual.

Global health, science and practice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about legal or governmental actions, use the formal phrase "trafficking in persons". For general contexts, "human trafficking" is equally acceptable and more concise.

Common error

Avoid using "trafficking in persons" interchangeably with "human smuggling". Trafficking involves exploitation, while smuggling focuses on illegal border crossing, regardless of whether exploitation takes place.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "trafficking in persons" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as a subject or object in a sentence. It identifies a specific crime involving the exploitation of individuals, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Formal & Business

34%

Science

18%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "trafficking in persons" is a widely used and grammatically correct term for describing the crime of exploiting individuals through force, fraud, or coercion. As Ludwig AI confirms, it functions primarily as a noun phrase in formal and neutral contexts. While "human trafficking" is a more concise alternative, "trafficking in persons" is commonly preferred in legal and governmental documents. Remember to differentiate it from "human smuggling", which focuses on illegal border crossing, and to reserve it for situations involving actual exploitation. The phrase is very common in sources such as the The Guardian, The New York Times, and Huffington Post.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

human trafficking

More concise and commonly used alternative.

trafficking of individuals

Replaces "persons" with "individuals" for a slight variation in wording.

modern slavery

Highlights the exploitative nature of the crime.

exploitation of people

Focuses on the exploitative aspect of trafficking.

trade in human beings

Emphasizes the commercial aspect of trafficking.

forced labor trafficking

Specifies the type of trafficking involved.

sex trafficking

Specifies the type of trafficking involved.

involuntary servitude

Focuses on the condition of being forced to work.

illegal labor recruitment

Highlights the deceptive recruitment practices used by traffickers.

human smuggling

Related but distinct crime involving illegal border crossing.

FAQs

What is the difference between "trafficking in persons" and "human smuggling"?

"Trafficking in persons" involves exploitation after the illegal crossing, while "human smuggling" is simply the illegal border crossing, regardless of exploitation.

What can I say instead of "trafficking in persons"?

Alternatives include "human trafficking", "modern slavery", or "exploitation of people", depending on the specific context and emphasis.

Is "trafficking in persons" the same as "slavery"?

While related, "trafficking in persons" is a broader term that encompasses various forms of exploitation, including but not limited to "slavery". "Slavery" refers to the ownership of a person.

How is the term "trafficking in persons" used in legal contexts?

In legal and governmental contexts, "trafficking in persons" is used to define the crime of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion.