EU Commission: new European legislation against migrant smuggling to be proposed tomorrow

Tomorrow, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and several commissioners will attend the international conference on a “Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling”. The conference, that will take place in Brussels, “is delivering on the announcement made by President von der Leyen in the 2023 State of the Union, that the Commission will strengthen its tools to effectively counter migrant smuggling”. The opening speech at the Conference will be delivered by President von der Leyen at 9am and will be broadcast live on EbS.
“Criminal networks – according to a statement from the Commission – take advantage of the despair of people, and this abuse often leads to loss of life. Migrant smugglers force hundreds of people onto unseaworthy boats, risking their lives on dangerous routes”. The conference will bring together representatives of Member States, key partner countries, and international organisations. “The discussions will focus on prevention and response to migrant smuggling as well as alternatives to irregular migration as a key deterrent for smuggling”.
The Commission says that tomorrow it will present new legislation on countering migrant smuggling. This covers a Directive laying down minimum rules on the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and stay in the EU, and a Regulation to reinforce Europol’s role and inter-agency cooperation in the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.
Gianni Borsa