On 24 November 2021, in the English Channel near Dunkirk, at least 27 migrants, including 5 women and a little girl, drowned, when their flimsy boat capsized. This marked the most fatalities since monitoring began.
Those life-threating Channel crossings have increased immensely. During 2020 around 15 000 persons were discovered trying to reach UK, while this year the number of persons increased to 37 000. These journeys are arranged by unscrupulous migrant smugglers, taking advantage of people’s dreams for a better life. The cost for a place in an overcrowded, dangerous dingy is between 2 500 and 10 000 euro per person.
This has to stop.
That is why, this Sunday, I was in a meeting in Calais hosted by French Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin. Interior Ministers and State Secretaries from Germany, Belgium and Netherlands were present, as were the heads of Europol and Frontex.
National coast guards and police authorities in these countries do a lot to fight smugglers. According to French Police 41 organised crime groups, involved in smuggling to the UK, have been dismantled since January 2021. 162 suspects have been arrested.
However, this is the tip of the iceberg. More must be done.
More coordination, cooperation and information sharing is needed between police and law enforcement in member states. A week from now I will present an updated Police Cooperation Code to strengthen the mandate of police forces to work together.
Frontex can do more to support with surveillance, cameras, vessels, aircrafts, information sharing and staff. This would help in border surveillance and checks and also in search and rescue. During the meeting in Calais it was confirmed that Frontex will provide a surveillance aircraft above the English Channel from this week on.
Europol can, even more, coordinate operations via liaison officers and share information on platforms such as the European Migrant Smuggling Centre. Law enforcement in member states can share more of intelligence on these platforms, to make coordinated operations efficient.
The smugglers work in well-organized criminal networks spread all over Europe. They buy boats and equipment in Germany, imported from China via Turkey. They negotiate on prices, competing with mafia-like methods. They adapt quick and easily to new circumstances. Law enforcement, police and coast guard cannot fall behind.
Migrant smuggling must be tackled by the EU together. It is not an issue for only some countries. That’s why it is very good news that participants in the Calais meeting reaffirmed their determination to speed up implementation of the renewed action plan against smuggling of human beings.
It is crucial also to reach out to countries of departures, and countries along the migration routes. That’s why I made numerous diplomatic missions, to continue building partnership with third countries, to cooperate against migrant smuggling, and to build more legal pathways to the EU. This is the ‘whole of route’ approach in practice.
Of course we have to discuss solutions with the UK too. Breaking down organized criminal smuggle networks can only be done in cooperation.
Finally, I very much welcome the Joint Statement from the meeting where participants committed to make further progress in negotiations on the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.
We need a comprehensive approach with long-term solutions to reduce irregular migration and secondary movement, we need shared responsibility between member states and more legal pathways to the EU.
#TimetoDeliverMigrationEU
This blog outlines the benefits of the proposals on migration tabled by the European Commission on 23 September 2020. For more detail on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum see below.
For More information
New Pact on Migration and Asylum | European Commission (europa.eu)
Commissioner Johansson’s speech at the High Level Forum on Resettlement, 9 July 2021
Commissioner Johansson’s blog: More legal pathways to the EU
DG Migration and Home Affairs website: Resettlement and other pathways to protection
Details
- Publication date
- 29 November 2021
- Author
- Directorate-General for Communication