Migrant smuggling is a criminal activity that disrespects human life and dignity in the pursuit of profit, undermining the fundamental rights of the people concerned as well as the migration management objectives of the Union. In its conclusions of 9 February 2023, the European Council affirmed the importance of the fight against smugglers and its willingness to step up its action to prevent irregular departures and loss of life by intensifying cooperation with countries of origin and transit. Trafficking in human beings is a serious crime, often committed within the framework of organised crime, constitutes a gross violation of fundamental rights and is explicitly prohibited by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter). Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and supporting the victims of trafficking, regardless of their country of origin, remains a priority for the Union and the Member States. To that effect, it is important to strengthen the response of law enforcement to migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings by reinforcing the overall capabilities of Europol, and in particular its Union centre of specialised expertise for combating migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.
Text as published in the Official Journal, reproduced verbatim (including any typographical quirks of the source). For the authentic version, see EUR-Lex.
