The new report by Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) looks into the latest developments and main threats in migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, based on the most recent operations supported by Europol.
The report highlights the main challenges presented by the current criminal landscape and aims to help law enforcement step up the fight against criminal networks, which not only rob individuals of their dignity but directly threaten people’s lives.
Migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks are highly adaptive and exploit geopolitical events, including economic and social crises, to maximise their illegal profits. These networks swiftly identify criminal opportunities the digital environment offers and take advantage of them to increase their illegal proceeds. Criminals abuse social media platforms, mobile applications, and cryptocurrencies to offer their illegal services, manage logistics and payments, and secure profits.
In 2015, the European Union was confronted with an unprecedented migratory crisis. In response, in 2016, Europol increased its support to national law enforcement authorities by creating a dedicated hub – Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre – to facilitate closer cross-border cooperation and the rapid exchange of operational information.
In 2023 alone, Europol supported 223 operations against migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks. The agency also provided national law enforcement authorities with 1,231 operational reports to advance their investigations in 2023. Europol has further developed the concept of Operational Task Forces (OTFs) in this crime area, with 11 OTFs targeting migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks.
Investigations into migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings reveal a complex and dynamic criminal environment in which actors take advantage of existing infrastructures and engage in multiple illegal activities. These criminal networks also engage in several other criminal activities, such as drugs and arms trafficking, document fraud and violence.
Migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings are interconnected, especially in cases where irregular migrants are in debt to their smugglers and end up in labour or sexual exploitation schemes to pay the smuggling fees. The links between migrant smuggling, terrorism and the financing of terrorism are of particular concern.
In April 2024, Europol hosted the conference “Tackling migrant smuggling in the digital domain” under the umbrella of the European Commission initiative Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling. During this event, over 100 experts from EU Member States, third-party countries, agencies and international organisations met to discuss the challenges and possible responses to migrant smuggling enabled by online platforms.
In June 2024, the Spanish National Police hosted Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre’s Annual Conference in Madrid, attended by representatives from law enforcement authorities in the Member States and operational partner countries, from EU agencies and bodies, international organisations, as well as from the private sector.
The meeting focussed on the current threats and challenges faced by investigators. The conference also furthered the exchange of good practices and difficulties in investigating the digital dimension of migrant smuggling, aiming to strengthen the EU’s tools in the fight against this criminal threat.
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