EU Prioritizes Dismantling Migrant Smuggling Networks

Strategic Insights -

The European Commission has outlined its strategic approach to combating migrant smuggling networks, with a focus on prevention, response, and alternatives. Key initiatives include the 2021-2025 EU action plan against migrant smuggling, the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, and proposals to strengthen the EU legal framework and the role of Europol. The Commission has also reached out to transport operators and partner countries, offering a regulation to take measures against transport operators and a toolbox to address the use of commercial means of transport to facilitate irregular migration.

Key Takeaways:

  • The EU has launched a Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, focusing on prevention, response, and alternatives.
  • The Commission has proposed a regulation to take measures against transport operators facilitating or engaging in trafficking in persons or smuggling of migrants.
  • The EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) will be deployed with guest officers to support secondary security checks and migrant smuggling investigations.
  • The Commission has reached out to transport operators and partner countries to propose measures to prevent and counter irregular migration.
  • The EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025) aims to address the root causes of irregular migration and strengthen cooperation between countries of origin, transit, and destination.
  • The European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) policy cycle will be used to combat migrant smuggling and other cross-border crimes.
  • The Commission will strengthen the EU legal framework to ensure the EU has the necessary instruments to respond to migrant smuggling.

Statistics:

  • The EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025) will cover the period from 2021 to 2025.
  • The Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling will be implemented through three key pillars: prevention, response, and alternatives.
  • The Commission proposes to strengthen the EU legal framework, with a focus on prevention, detection, and investigation of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.
  • The EU has reached out to transport operators and partner countries, with a view to proposing measures against transport operators facilitating or engaging in trafficking in persons or smuggling of migrants.

Sources:

  • Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions A renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025), COM(2021) 591 final.
  • https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/internal-security/law-enforcement-cooperation/empact-fighting-crime-together_en.
  • https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/60f6cc08-c7ee-46db-bee5-689562d34436_en?filename=Call-to-action-global-alliance-to-counter-migrant-smuggling_en_1.pdf.
  • Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down minimum rules to prevent and counter the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and stay in the Union, and replacing Council Directive 2002/90/EC and Council Framework Decision 2002/946 JHA, COM(2023) 755 final.
  • Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on enhancing police cooperation in relation to the prevention, detection and investigation of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, and on enhancing Europol's support to preventing and combating such crimes and amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794, COM(2023) 754 final.