This is a background paper intended for the workshop about Corruption and Human Trafficking which took place during the Vienna Forum. Corruption is one of the major contributing factors to the crime of trafficking in persons. It is both an underlying root cause and a facilitating tool to carry out and sustain this illicit trade. Worse corruption can also ensure safe havens for the profits collected as a result of human misery. Unfortunately, there has been very little exploration into the linkages of the two phenomena. When thinking of the images that join corruption and trafficking, one can easily imagine the border guard who is pocketing a few bills to not check a passport, or imagine the immigration officer who is willing to accept forged documents for a price, or the police offer who accepts a fee to turn a blind eye to a cry for help.