The use of a broad conceptualization of human smugglers fosters their stereotypical representation. Moreover, the lack of attention to the heterogeneity of smugglers, to their purposes, methods, and organisational choices, leads to the design of unfair and ineffective migration policies. Relying on previous empirical studies on human smuggling and other officially documented instances of the smuggling of migrants, this study investigates the heterogeneity of migrant smugglers and their activities with respect to six dimensions: target/victim, purpose, geopolitical scope, intensity, operational scale, organisation. The results confirm that it is misleading to provide one single definition of a human smuggler; on the contrary, different characterizations exist. In marked contrast to the public conception of human smugglers, they are often motivated by empathy, are active for short periods, and coordinate themselves through loose local networks. Nonetheless, the evidence indicates that there are also profit-oriented groups stably conducting large-scale operations that may end in the victimization of the migrants. The adoption of a vocabulary able to account for the diverse characteristics of human smugglers is recommended in the academic, political and policy debate.

对人口走私者的广泛概念化的使用促进了他们的刻板印象。此外，由于对走私者的异质性、他们的目的、方法和组织选择缺乏关注，导致设计出不公平和无效的移民政策。本研究依托以往关于人口走私和其他官方记录的偷运移民案例的实证研究，从六个维度调查移民偷运者及其活动的异质性：目标/受害者、目的、地缘政治范围、强度、活动规模、组织。结果证实，提供单一的人口走私者定义具有误导性；相反，存在不同的特征。与公众对人口走私者的看法形成鲜明对比的是，他们通常受到同理心的激励，在短时间内活跃，并通过松散的本地网络进行自我协调。尽管如此，证据表明，也有一些以营利为目的的团体稳定地进行大规模的经营活动，最终可能导致移民受害。建议在学术、政治和政策辩论中采用能够解释人口走私者不同特征的词汇。