Up to 15 years in prison, a stronger role for Europol and more resources for law enforcement. These are some of the highlights of the new rules proposed by the European Commission to prevent and combat migrant smuggling, updating the 20-year-old legal framework. Criminal networks are taking advantage of the desperation of people trying to reach our shores. And this event is of frightening proportions.
More than 90 percent of irregular immigrants reaching the EU reach our borders thanks to the work of human smugglers. According to Frontex, approximately 331 thousand irregular entries were detected in 2022 and more than 15 thousand immigrant smugglers were identified. Approximately 281 thousand irregular crossings were detected at the bloc’s external borders by the end of September 2023. Human trafficking is a very lucrative activity on sea routes to Europe, estimated to have generated over 200 million euros in revenue for criminals in 2019, with an average cost of close to 3 thousand euros per person transported. Worldwide, the earnings of these criminal networks vary between 4.7 and 6 billion euros per year. Migrant smugglers, who put hundreds of people on unsuitable boats, caused a real massacre by causing more than 28 thousand people to drown or disappear in the Mediterranean since 2014.
Brussels now proposes to establish minimum rules to prevent and combat the facilitation of unauthorized entry, transit and residence in the EU, with five objectives: effective prosecution of organized crime networks, harmonizing sanctions and updating them according to the seriousness of the crime, improving jurisdiction, To combat this phenomenon and, finally, to increase the resources and capabilities of Member States to improve data collection and reporting.
In detail, it has been suggested that a clearer definition of the crime of smuggling should be made, focusing on activities that aim to obtain financial or material benefit or that may cause serious harm to a person. It would also be a criminal offense to encourage entry into the EU without permission. This is about migrant smuggling, which is publicized through digital tools and social media. Cases of aggravated crimes resulting in the death of one or more persons will be punishable by imprisonment for at least up to 15 years; This penalty will be increased by the eight years stipulated in current EU legislation dating back to 2002.
According to the reform, member states’ jurisdiction will also apply if, for example, boats sink and people die in international waters. Member States’ jurisdiction will also extend to other cases, including crimes committed on ships or aircraft registered in Member States and crimes committed by legal entities operating in the EU. The aim is to target criminal networks even if they are discovered outside our borders.
However, the Commission states in a note that “activities such as humanitarian aid by NGOs, fulfillment of legal search and rescue obligations, assistance of family members and immigrants should not be considered crimes.” According to the Community Executive Commission, Member States should allocate adequate resources to their national authorities to ensure the effective prevention, investigation and prosecution of traffickers.
Member States should also work to prevent trafficking in human beings through information and awareness campaigns, research and training programmes. Finally, member states will be required to collect and report statistical data on an annual basis to improve outreach, case detection and response to migrant smuggling. The Commission also proposes a regulation that will strengthen the role of Europol and inter-institutional cooperation in the fight against migrant smuggling and human trafficking. The text proposed by Palazzo Berlaymont will now need to be subject to review by the Parliament and the EU Council before final approval is given.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
