Ramification of the concept of trafficking in human beings and other similar occurrences and terminological concepts

Abstract

Prior to the revision of criminal legislation in April, 2003, when trafficking in human beings was finally defined as a separate criminal act in our country there was no uniform understanding of this term. That applied to international legal acts and documents, as well as national laws, theory and practice of subjects dealing with security. Such a state caused much confusion in the terminology used in recording instances of trafficking in human beings and similar instances of endangerment and was characterized by the following: recording of the same occurrences using different terms recording of different occurrences using the same terms, unnecessary creation of synonyms and antonyms, and the use of unscientific concepts. Therefore it is necessary that the meaning of various terms, which are applied in theory and practice, and which directly or indirectly relate to trafficking in humans beings, be ramified. The author of this paper gives insight into the etymological meaning of the syntagm trafficking in human beings, the dilemmas of the terminology used in recording such occurrences, conceptualizes human trafficking, signifies important differences of other such similar occurrences, namely terminological concepts similar to human trafficking with particular emphasis on smuggling of persons and prostitution.

Pre revizije krivičnog zakonodavstva u aprilu 2003. godine, kada je trgovina ljudima najzad definisana kao posebno krivično delo, u našoj zemlji nije postojalo jedinstveno shvatanje pojma ove pojave. To se odnosilo kako na međunarodnopravne akte i dokumente, tako i na nacionalno zakonodavstvo teoriju i praksu subjekata bezbednosti. Takvo stanje je stvorilo konfuziju u terminološkom obeležavanju trgovine ljudima i sličnih pojava ugrožavanja koju karakteriše: obeležavanje istih pojava različitim terminima, obeležavanje različitih pojava istim terminima, stvaranje nepotrebnih sinonima i homonima te korišćenje nenaučnog pojmovno-kategorijalnog aparata. Stoga je neophodno razgraničiti značenje termina koji se mogu sresti u teoriji i praksi, a koji se direktno ili indirektno odnose na trgovinu ljudima. U radu se ukazuje na etimološko značenje sintagme trgovina ljudima i dileme oko terminološkog obeležavanja te pojave, pojmovno se određuje trgovina ljudima, ukazuje se na bitne razlike od drugih sličnih pojava, odnosno terminoloških koncepata sličnih trgovini ljudima, s posebnim osvrtom na krijumčarenje ljudi i prostituciju.