Dismantling criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling is a key priority for the Commission.

Within its competences, the Commission supports Member States not only through direct coordination of relevant response policies on the ground, but also by leveraging the resources of EU agencies, such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency through the deployment of Standing Corps, and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation ( Europol) through the deployment of guest officers in support of secondary security checks and migrant smuggling investigations.

The Commission highly encourages and supports the effective cooperation in a whole-of-a-route approach, between on the one side countries of origin and transit and on the other side destination countries in the EU, to ensure effective interventions to prevent and counter irregular migration.

Such measures are pursued as part of the renewed EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2021-2025)[1] and the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats[2] policy cycle.

Moreover, in November 2023, the Commission launched a Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling[3] along three key pillars — prevention, response and alternatives — and proposed to strengthen the EU legal framework[4] and the role of Europol[5] to ensure that the EU has the necessary legal and operational instruments to respond to this evolving crime.

The Commission has also reached out to transport operators and partner countries and proposed a regulation to take measures against transport operators[6] and provided a toolbox addressing the use of commercial means of transport to facilitate irregular migration to the EU[7].

Last updated: 30 June 2025