EU backs reinforced Europol role on migrant smuggling and trafficking

The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council to reinforce Europol’s role and inter-agency cooperation in the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings. This regulation was proposed by the Commission in November 2023.

The fight against migrant smuggling is a Commission priority, as President von der Leyen made clear in her 2025 State of the Union address. She highlighted that it must be Europeans who decide on who is coming to Europe and under what circumstances – not the smugglers and traffickers.

Europol plays a key role in supporting Member States law enforcement and judicial authorities in their efforts to break the smugglers’ business models and dismantle transnational criminal networks. The new rules will better equip Europol to support national law enforcement authorities, with a strengthened European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling, enhanced information sharing, as well as additional financial and human resources.

The Centre Against Migrant Smuggling will have a true European dimension. It will include representatives of Eurojust and Frontex and will benefit from the support of other relevant EU bodies and agencies. This will increase inter-agency cooperation and step up strategic, operational and technical support to Member States.

Information sharing between Europol and Member States, including Member States’ liaison officers in third countries, will also be improved. The new rules also introduce novel responsibilities for Member States to share information with Europol and other Member States participating in an operational task force.

The Agency’s capabilities to process biometric data will also be increased, including through additional funding.

Europol’s operational capacity will be enhanced with additional financial resources (€50 million, including €20 million to scale up Europol’s biometrics capabilities) and 50 additional staff.

Next steps

The regulation must now be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council before it enters into force, which will happen 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

Then, Europol’s Management Board of Europol will adopt implementing rules to define the scope of operation of the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling.

Background

In the 2025 State of the Union address President von der Leyen announced new initiatives to step up the fight against smugglers and traffickers, including “a new sanctions regime to freeze their assets, restrict their freedom of movement and deprive them of their profits.”

The new European Internal Security Strategy, ProtectEU, also announced that the Commission will propose an ambitious overhaul of Europol’s mandate, in close consultation with Member States. The aim will be to further strengthen Europol’s role in investigating cross-border, large-scale, and complex cases posing a serious threat to the internal security of the Union; working more closely with other EU Agencies and further enhancing support to Member States.

The proposal for a Regulation on strengthening the role of Europol against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings was put forward in November 2023, together with a proposal fa Directive to establish minimum rules to prevent and counter the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and stay in the Union, which is currently under negotiation with the European Parliament and the Council. In November 2023 the Commission also launched the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, to step up cooperation with international partners and break the smugglers’ business model.

More information: European Commission