Director General participation in Border Security Summit OIC 

London, 31 March 2025

Home Secretary,

Ministers,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me first express my sincere gratitude to the Home Secretary and to the UK for convening this important summit and extending an invitation to the Council of Europe to attend it. 

Given the topic –  

We at the Council of Europe have a contribution to make to the discussions embracing two sides of the same coin: combatting the criminal groups engaged in migrants’ smuggling, while protecting the rights and dignity of migrants.

First, concerning the smuggling of migrants – this is an urgent, global challenge. 

We need more dissuasive penalties for smugglers, and better and more concerted international judicial and law enforcement cooperation

And in Europe we can and must do better. This is why a new legal text will be developed in the coming months at the Council of Europe to prevent and counter migrant smuggling. 

This is also why we have set up a Network of Prosecutors on Migrant Smuggling to improve day-to-day exchanges, and developed 26 migration country profiles freely available online.

And lastly, the Council of Europe treaties on cybercrime and on digital evidence provides valuable tools in addressing the challenges raised by the smuggling of migrants, including by focusing on disrupting these criminal enterprises.  

The other side of the coin, relates to our focus on a human rights-based migration governance.

Its two key elements are prohibition of collective expulsions of non-nationals, and the principle of non-refoulement protecting asylum seekers. 

Last but not least, our European Convention on Human Rights is relevant here, together with the process of the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. 

Through this process, the national legal frameworks and administrative practices related to migrations are continuously improved.

It is important therefore to safeguard the European Convention on Human Rights as an important part of the collective response to the migration challenge. 

Thank you for your attention!