Council of Europe calls for strengthening international cooperation against migrant smuggling

The 2nd International Conference on Migrant Smuggling, organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, has called on its 46 member states to explore all possibilities to strengthen international cooperation.

In her opening speech, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, stressed that “migrant smuggling must be a thing of Europe’s past, not its future – and that this is what we must strive for together” and recalled that “European leaders are committed to stepping up efforts to promote and improve international cooperation, while continuing to protect victims and respect the human rights of migrants and refugees”.

Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty said that “efforts to harmonise legislation and strengthen international cooperation on people smuggling will only be effective if they respect the human rights of smuggled people, guarantee access to asylum, provide safe and legal routes to Europe, and respect the rights of humanitarian actors and human rights defenders.”

The conference was held under the auspices of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Migration and Refugees. CDPC President Fritz Zeder noted that “the Council of Europe conventions on international cooperation in criminal matters, including those on mutual legal assistance and extradition, can be instrumental in facilitating the prosecution of smugglers and transnational criminal networks. These conventions, which are open to third countries, strengthen global cooperation by providing practical tools for judicial and law enforcement cooperation, and can be crucial in the fight against migrant smuggling”.

This event follows on from the 2023 Reykjavik Summit, where the Council of Europe Heads of State and Government reaffirmed “the need to combat trafficking and smuggling of human beings” and committed to “intensifying efforts to promote and enhance international cooperation in this field.”

Following the summit, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe mandated the CDPC to produce a report, to be finalised by the end of this year, assessing the need for and feasibility of a possible instrument to combat migrant smuggling. Participants were informed of progress and the different options that Member States could consider to tackle migrant smuggling.