human smugglers

Europe News

Deportations and sanctions: EU strikes harder line on migration

This week, the European Union took significant steps to tackle illegal migration making it easier to deport asylum seekers and irregular migrants. Von der Leyen also announced a new sanctions regime for smugglers.

11/12/2025

United Kingdom

UK jails smuggler for 25 years over arranging migrant boats to Europe

UK-based Egyptian national Ahmed Ebid helped smuggle nearly 3,800 people from north Africa to Italy as part of a lucrative criminal network.

20/05/2025

Europe News

Commission sues Hungary for releasing thousands of smugglers

Hungary earlier released at least 2000 foreign people smugglers from prison, ordering them to leave the country. The European Commission thinks it's a violation of European law.

07/05/2025

Europe in Motion

EU reports human trafficking surge as female victims outnumber male

Although sexual exploitation was the predominant form of exploitation in 2023, there was a jump in the number of registered victims trafficked for forced labour or services.

07/04/2025

USA

US border agents charged with taking bribes to smuggle migrants

Prosecutors say the two border agents in Southern California waved through dozens of vehicles in exchange for thousands of dollars each.

07/04/2025

Europe News

French court convicts 18 people in migrant smuggling trial

The defendants were part of a smuggling gang accused of overseeing most Channel crossings on small boats from France to the UK from 2000 to 2022.

05/11/2024

Bulgaria

Eight arrested in Bulgaria migrant smuggling ring bust

Smugglers were charging up to €6,000 per head to smuggle migrants to Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

21/08/2024

Spain

Spanish hero saves migrants forced off speedboat at gunpoint

It took Javier González a minute to reach the migrants who had been forced from the speedboat off the Spanish coast, but by the time he got there, one of them had already died.

04/12/2023

Europe News

Brussels warns of 'consequences' of repeal of Niger anti-smuggling law

The Niger junta's decision to repeal an eight-year-old law designed to crack down on migrant smugglers could lead to an influx of migrants into Europe, according to EU home affairs chief Ylva Johansson.

28/11/2023

Europe News

Migrant smugglers to face up to 15 years in prison under new EU rules

The European Commission is seeking to toughen penalties for human traffickers as the bloc struggles to bring down the number of migrants lured in by networks of smugglers.

28/11/2023

World News

Euroviews. These are the unspoken truths about human smuggling

To truly disrupt the underpinnings of smuggling networks, mere security enhancements won't cut it. We might find more success in reducing the demand for smuggling services rather than suppressing its supply, Dr Luigi Achilli writes.

09/10/2023

Bulgaria

Bulgaria arrests alleged human smugglers in nationwide raids

Bulgaria has emerged as a transit point to enter central and western Europe through illicit means.

19/07/2023

Austria

Austria tightens border security, as Hungary releases people smugglers

Budapest released hundreds of foreign prisoners convicted of people smuggling, and gave them just 72 hours to leave the country.

22/05/2023

France

French police dismantle gang smuggling migrants across Channel

Six people were arrested and taken into custody during the operation.

08/12/2022

Germany

Germany arrests four members of suspected migrant smuggling ring

The criminal gang allegedly trafficked Middle Eastern migrants to Germany via Poland and Belarus.

07/12/2022

Portugal

Portugal arrests 35 people over suspected migrant smuggling ring

The criminal gang allegedly exploited migrants on farms in the southern Alentejo region.

23/11/2022