Report, Smuggled Futures: the Dangerous Path of the Migrant from Africa to Europe

An interesting international report published in 2014 by the Centro Astalli [the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Italy], Smuggled Futures: The dangerous path of the migrant from Africa to Europe, appears more relevant than ever today.

It’s a research report written for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and Human Trafficking.

The Global Initiative (www.globalinitiative.net) is a network concerned with implementing regulations on organized crime, governance and developing programs for innovative strategies and concrete solutions against organized crime.

The report explains how organized crime has found a large vehicle for action in immigration. According to Europol, “it is estimated that 80% of illegal migration to Europe is facilitated by smugglers or criminal groups that are paid to provide services such as transportation, fraudulent identification, corruption of border officials and settlement services.”

Through a specific analysis of Afro-European migration routes, the report explains, “Due to strict immigration policies in destination countries, harsh terrain, and the urgency of many to escape their circumstances, migrants from sub- Saharan Africa often pay smugglers to assist them (…) The cost of a trip to Europe averages several thousands of dollars and may take years to complete (…).”

The document also suggests solutions emphasizing, “Responses to smuggled migration through the Central Mediterranean cannot be limited to [Italian] border control.” Adding, “responses must be harmonized, providing potential migrants with alternatives to hiring the services of smugglers, and enforcing anti-corruption measures”.

https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2014-crime-1.pdf