labour‐intensive manufacturing and, of course, for women and older girls, in commercial sex. Such exploitation is at the heart of trafficking.”16) Again, restrictive immigration policies of favoured countries as well as the lumping or labeling trafficked migrant women as illegal migrants accentuates the problem leading to mis ‐identification and lack of protection and assistance to this category of women who have been trafficked. Human trafficking usually involves moving a person, the “commodity”, from one place to another with the promise of employment, education or marriage by using coercion, fraud, deception or force. Once moved, the person typically is forced to work under harsh conditions or for negligible wages. In simple terms, the difference could be as follows:17) ① Trafficked persons are deceived or forced (actual or by threat) to move. Whereas, regular migrants are not usually deceived or forced to leave their place of residence. But, sometimes it could be difficult to draw a line between the two concepts as there are grey areas in between blurring a clear distinction. ② Both trafficking in persons and migration share the same “migratory space” as both involved movement. Nevertheless, the two phenomena have very different reasons behind movement and outcomes, with trafficked persons being exposed to a “harm” situation and end up in slave like situations. Exploitation, profit and illegality are all central to the idea of trafficking in persons. That is certainly not the case in the regular migration process. ③ The presence of exploitation or violations of rights are trafficking outcomes irrespective of the nature of mobility. ④ Trafficking is a development retarding phenomenon whereas regular migration is generally a development enhancing process. ⑤ Trafficking is viewed as an anti‐social and morally degrading heinous event. However, migration is widely considered as a process that could enhance social process in both the origin and destination countries, if managed properly; it could also be an empowering process for the migrants. 16) 17) Md. Shahidul Haque, “Ambiguities and Confusions in the Migration‐Trafficking Nexus: A Development Challenge,” Regional Seminar on the Social Implications of International Migration, 24‐26 August 2005, Bangkok, pp.5‐6. The Status of Human Trafficking of Migrant Women Around the World and the Role of the International Community ❙ 7