The Council of Europe is organising an international conference in Strasbourg on 23 June to discuss ways to prevent and combat the smuggling of migrants.
The prevention and suppression of smuggling of migrants in Europe and its severe implications for human rights pose complex legal challenges. Facilitated by criminal networks, the smuggling of migrants generates huge profits for the offenders involved. The life, freedoms and safety of smuggled migrants are put at risk.
Representatives of governments and international organisations, as well as experts in this field will exchange best practices and experience on preventive measures and on the criminalisation of the smuggling of migrants. They will also tackle how to improve international co-operation and to better protect smuggled migrants.
The conference aims to provide the background for future Council of Europe action.
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will speak at the opening.
Speakers in the first session, devoted to the prevention of smuggling of migrants, include Andreas Schloenhardt, Professor of Criminal Law of the University of Queensland and Professorial Research Fellow of the University of Vienna, Raed al-Azawi, a direct witness of the smuggling of migrants, and Annalisa Pauciullo, Associate Expert of the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
- Conference website
- Programme
- Speech by Thorbjørn Jagland
- Speech by Tomáš Boček, Special Representative on Migration and Refugees
- The opening and the first session - from 9.30 a.m. to 10.45 a.m. - will be webcast live.