Introduction to “The Evolution of Illicit Flows: Displacement and Convergence among Transnational Crime”

Attention to the displacement and convergence of transnational crimes as a result of border security measures has increased substantially since the late 2010s. While the media and politicians have often underlined the potential threat posed by these dynamics, scholars have also begun to investigate these phenomena. Nonetheless, the concepts of displacement and convergence of transnational crimes are often cited freehandedly while their true nature and extent of occurrence remain largely unknown. Within that context, the chapters collected in this book investigate the displacement and convergence of transnational crimes, with a special focus on trafficking which takes place between North Africa and Europe. The first section of the book presents and critically analyzes the theories on which convergence and displacement among transnational crimes rely, and outlines the history and current situation of drug trafficking and migrant smuggling activities in the region. The second section presents a collection of empirical studies on various aspects of displacement and convergence. These chapters rely on diverse quantitative methodologies as well as ethnographic analyses, which together provide understanding of the phenomena and insight into the development of effective policies. The third section gives recommendations for the implementation of strategies to manage the smuggling of migrants and human trafficking, and also outlines potential developments for the future study of displacement and convergence of transnational crimes in terms of methodologies, understudied dynamics, and challenges in investigating these topics.