To understand illegal migration, one must understand the context: political, economic, and social environments; motivations of the illegal migrating populations and other non-illegal migrant groups; and the identity of those who exploit and/or are served by the illegal migrants. This essay discusses illegal migration within the wider debate over “security threats” which result as a consequence of transnational crimes, and questions whether illegal migration should be seen and responded to as a security threat. It concludes that, if human security is seen to be distinct from a more traditional focus on national security, and if human security is responded to in a manner that is not reliant on the police and the military, then the broader human security terminology can legitimately be applied to illegal migration. It argues that a predominately law enforcement or military response is seldom appropriate for the diverse issues that fall under illegal migration. Notes