The data presented by the European Commission paints a grim picture of migrant safety across the Mediterranean since 2014. More than 28,000 people have been drowned or lost at sea. In the current year, the authorities report about 2,600 deaths and around 300,000 irregular arrivals, with roughly 90 percent linked to human trafficking networks. The justice commissioner condemned the role of traffickers on Tuesday, stressing that the penalties must reflect the severity of the crime and extend to at least a 15-year prison term in the gravest cases. These figures underline the ongoing peril faced by migrants and the urgent need for stronger enforcement against smugglers.
Commissioner Johannson emphasized the danger posed by smugglers for migrants and for the European Union as a whole. She recalled harrowing episodes in which people suffered violence, rape, and other abuses. Recent examples include the deaths of 18 Afghan nationals in a truck in Bulgaria and the drowning of hundreds after a vessel attempting to reach the EU sank in the Ionian Sea. To curb irregular entries, the Commission has proposed updating the legal framework to establish minimum standards for preventing and eliminating the facilitation of unauthorized entry, transit, and stay within the Union. The goal is to create a cohesive, long-standing system that can respond to evolving smuggling methods with clear, enforceable rules.
The proposed regulations aim to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws by clarifying what constitutes smuggling for financial or material gain and by highlighting activities that pose serious harm to individuals. The package also addresses how digital platforms and social networks may be used to promote or facilitate migrant smuggling. In this way, the EU seeks to close loopholes that traffickers exploit when advertising or coordinating operations across borders.
Harmonization of sentences
The Commission also recommends harmonizing penalties across member states to reflect the seriousness of the crime and its consequences. In the harshest scenarios, where aggravated crime results in the death of one or more people, the proposal calls for a maximum prison term of no less than 15 years, nearly doubling the current maximum under existing European law. The revision would extend jurisdiction to cases where ships sink and people perish in international waters, and it would cover offenses committed on vessels or aircraft registered in EU member states as well as offenses carried out by corporate entities operating within the Union’s boundaries.
The overarching aim is to disrupt criminal networks that profit from trafficking and to curb other illicit activities tied to smuggling operations, including hindering humanitarian rescue obligations. The proposal also stresses strengthening resources, improving capacity, and enhancing the collection and availability of statistical data to monitor trends and outcomes more effectively.
Europol reinforcement
The legislative package, now to be negotiated between the Council and the European Parliament, includes a regulation that will bolster Europol’s role and foster greater cooperation among EU law enforcement and other institutions to combat human trafficking. Europol, known for coordinating transnational anti-smuggling efforts, has established numerous operational working groups and helped seize substantial sums of cash since its inception in 2016. The initiative aligns with broader EU efforts to coordinate a comprehensive response to migrant smuggling on a global scale.
The timing of these reforms coincides with the launch of a Global Alliance, an EU-backed initiative unveiled at an international conference chaired by the EU’s leadership in Brussels. The project brings together representatives from dozens of countries and organizations to address migrant smuggling as a shared global challenge and to reinforce collaborative actions across borders.