English Rewind - News Words: Trafficking

Hello! Catherine here from BBC Learning English.

Just so you know, this programme is from the BBC Learning English archive.

It was first broadcast in April 2010 on our website.

We do hope you enjoy it.

You're listening to News Words.

BBC journalist Clare Arthurs

talks about words and phrases commonly used in news reports.

Today's word — 'trafficking'.

'Traffic' is often in the news.

In its most common use, it refers to the movement of vehicles —

cars, bikes and aeroplanes, and the systems associated with that movement,

such as traffic lights and air traffic control.

There's also 'communications traffic' —

we're part of it when we use the telephone.

'Traffic' can also refer to the movement of goods

when people are buying and selling or trading.

In many parts of the world, trade includes human beings.

In the news, we refer to this illegal trade

as 'people trafficking' or 'human trafficking'.

It refers to the illegal activity of smuggling people —

women being sold as wives, children sold into prostitution,

illegal migrants smuggled through customs by people traffickers or 'snakeheads',

often in horrible conditions.

The authorities who try to stop, or 'combat', trafficking

are also watching for illegal drugs,

stolen wildlife and counterfeit and untaxed goods.

These are smuggled by people we would call traffickers.

People trafficking is an interesting story for our news bulletins

for several reasons including the size of the problem,

the fact that it affects many countries,

and the human drama of people's experiences.

Some other words you might hear in this context are 'market' or 'black market',

'commerce', 'borders', 'dealing', 'organised crime',

'networks', 'migrants' and 'asylum seekers'.

That was News Words from BBC Learning English dot com.