People smugglers are charging migrants up to €7,000 ($8,266) each to be crammed into vehicle engine compartments and trafficked across borders, according to a new report from Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC).
In a dangerous new smuggling method that could put lives at risk, traffickers’ vehicles are stopping close to border crossings, where migrants are told to climb into the space between a car or van’s engine and bonnet.
Europol notes that migrants who are trafficked in this manner spend the majority of their journey travelling with smugglers, and are only concealed in engine compartments once their vehicle reaches a border check point.
The report also notes an increase in the number migrants smuggled from Turkey to Italy on leisure vessels such as sailing yachts, despite the EU paying Ankara billions of euros to stop people attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
Other emerging trends identified by European law enouncement agencies over the course of the past year include an uptick in the number of migrants attempting to enter Europe via Spain, and EU countries being used as transit points for would-be asylum seekers looking to travel onward to the US or Canada.
European nationals made up the majority of the suspects arrested in connected with people smuggling offences across the EU in the 12 months to the end of June, followed by Asians and Africans, according to the EMSC.
Commenting on the latest trends, Europol chief Rob Wainwright said: “Migrant smuggling has become a big and dangerous business in Europe. In the face of increased pressure from law enforcement authorities criminal groups are resorting to desperate methods to smuggle victims across border, often with life-threatening consequences.
“In over 50 high-level investigations of migrant smuggling in which Europol is currently supporting national authorities, we are determined to help combat this callous trade.”
The EMSC’s European Monitoring Team Report (EPMT), which is published periodically, recommended greater cooperation between EU law enforcement agencies and third-party countries in a bid to better identify and apprehend organised crime groups and high-value targets linked to the Mediterranean migrant smuggling trade.
Separately, the Italian-French-German NGO SOS Mediterranee last week said its ship had been involved in the rescue of more than 600 migrants off the coast of Libya in a single 36-hour period.
Of the 606 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean, 241 were babies, children or teens, according to the group.
Speaking during the rescue effort, Madeleine Habib, Search and Rescue-Coordinator aboard SOS Mediterranean boat the Aquarius, commented: “All those who were in serious danger on these makeshift boats in the open sea, are now safe on board the Aquarius.”
The migrants – who had travelled from countries including Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia and Yemen – were taken to Sicily for processing.
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