Smuggling of Migrants

The smuggling of migrants is a transnational crime in continuous evolution. The Council of Europe action in this field aims at supporting national jurisdictions, which are facing important challenges in fighting this phenomenon, including in terms of applicable legal frameworks, investigation, prosecution and international co-operation.

Background of CDPC’s activities on the smuggling of migrants

The CDPC has been working on criminal issues related to migration since 2015 and has progressively narrowed the scope of its activities on the smuggling of migrants, including through the drafting of studies, the organisation of a Conference and the setting-up of working groups of experts dedicated to exploring more in-depth this phenomenon.

The outcomes of these activities led to the drafting of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Fostering International Co-operation and Investigative Strategies in Fighting the Smuggling of Migrants, which was adopted by the CDPC in 2020. This Action Plan establishes five objectives. Its fundamental goal is to help member States foster and improve international co-operation and investigative strategies in fighting the criminal phenomena connected to the smuggling of migrants.

Find out more information about the working process preceding the adoption of the Action Plan here.

2nd International Conference on Migrant Smuggling (Strasbourg, 10-11 September 2024)

Countering migrant smuggling is identified as a priority in the decisions of the Council of Europe Heads of State and Government at their 4th Summit held in Reykjavik on 16-17 May 2023. The European leaders stated in the Reykjavík Declaration:

“We recall the increasing challenges of migration and the necessity to fight against trafficking and smuggling of migrants. We commit to intensifying efforts to foster and improve international co-operation in this regard, while continuing to protect the victims and respect the human rights of migrants and refugees, as well as supporting frontline States, within the existing Council of Europe frameworks”

The aim of the Conference is to foster enhanced international cooperation, discuss the effectiveness of the existing legal frameworks and any possible gaps, share best practices, and explore comprehensive measures needed for effectively countering migrant smuggling. These measures aim to prosecute smugglers while protecting the rights and dignity of migrants and avoiding the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance.

Find out more information on this Conference here.

The Council of Europe Network of Prosecutors on Migrant Smuggling

In December 2021, the CDPC decided to launch Action n°1 of the Action Plan on Fostering International Co-operation and Investigative Strategies in Fighting the Smuggling of Migrants, entitled "Addressing Investigative, Prosecutorial and Judicial Challenges in Migrant Smuggling-related cases". This Action consists of the setting-up of a Council of Europe Network of Prosecutors on Migrant Smuggling to facilitate the transnational exchange of information and good-practices, as well as the gathering of evidence on relevant cases.

Find out more information about the activities of this Network here.

Country-profiles on Migrant Smuggling

In June 2023, the CDPC decided to launch Action n°5 of the Action Plan on Fostering International Co-operation and Investigative Strategies in Fighting the Smuggling of Migrants, entitled "Ensuring information knowledge in the field of migrant smuggling". This Action consists of the production by CDPC delegations of national country-profiles featuring legal and judicial information on migrant smuggling, to be published on the CDPC website to facilitate knowledge sharing on this issue.