Illegal migration is a major ongoing crisis affecting Europe, but, also, a global one. While the causes determining people to leave their habitat are diverse (violent conflicts, social unrest, economic problems, effects of the climate change and so on), what is obvious is that the migrant smugglers ruthlessly try to take advantage on their plight for profit purposes. In this regard, INTERPOL’s assistance to the national authorities, as well as its cooperation with other international organisations and agencies operating in the field of law enforcement cooperation, in countering migrant smuggling, is hugely important. As migrant trafficking is one of the driving forces of illegal migration, in the author’s opinion, in order to better counter the complex migrant smuggling networks, it would be needed a more comprehensive, targeted and tailored approach meant to facilitate simultaneous, quicker and coordinated operations in multiple jurisdictions.
Aim: To describe the contribution of trafficking in migrants to the exacerbation of illegal migration, the role of INTERPOL in assisting European Union and its relevant agencies, as well as to contemplate to new ideas leading to solutions meant to tackle more effectively this scourge.
Methodology: Having a solid experience in combating migrant smuggling, both at the operational and strategic level, as well as in the field of international Police cooperation, the Author, using both an empirical and a descriptive approach, tries to highlight the main elements of the problem based on which to contribute to a debate aimed at finding ideas and solutions for improving the efficiency of the fight against this criminal phenomenon, concerning the European continent and a wider area.
Findings: The migrant smuggling networks are intrinsically connected to the phenomenon of illegal migration, looking to exploit its causes and take advantage on people’s vulnerabilities. These networks, which could be very dynamic and complex, easily spreads and infiltrates across national jurisdictions, requiring a strong response on behalf of the law enforcement agencies, which cannot be effective enough without ensuring a solid, smart and flexible international cooperation process, both at strategic and practical level. In this respect, INTERPOL’s role, alongside its partners at European and global level is essential.
Value: The author’s purpose is that of describing the complexity and the implications of migrant smuggling on Europe, as well as to propose a more pragmatic, tailored and coordinated approach for fighting this phenomenon.