At the end of the 2000s, a new form of human smuggling which I call ‘ransom smuggling’ appeared in Northern Africa. In it hostage taking and extortion play a critical role. Both smugglers and hostage takers—actors of mobility and actors of immobility, respectively—are part of the system. The appearance of ransom smuggling was linked directly to European policies aimed at restricting and criminalizing irregular migration.

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