Statewatch News Online : EU : Migrant smuggling tops EU crime priorities

/eu-migrant-smuggling-action.htm

  • Statewatch News Online: EU: Migrant smuggling tops EU crime priorities - restricted document shows extent of police operations
    http://statewatch.org/news/2017/oct/eu-migrant-smuggling-action.htm

    "Preventing the arrival of immigrants with no legal rights to the EU is more important, in terms of EU policy priorities among member states, than fighting terrorism and online child pornography.

    Erkki Koort, who chairs an internal security group at the European Council, representing member states, told MEPs on Tuesday (10 October) that fighting “the facilitation of illegal migration” involves more EU states than any other crime.

    “For the upcoming [EU policy] cycle, the areas with the biggest number of member states participating are first [against] the facilitation of illegal migration,” he said.

    Human trafficking ranked second, followed by synthetic drugs and then more conventional narcotics like cannabis and cocaine. Koort then listed weapons trafficking and child sexual exploitation as near the bottom of the priorities. Other big ticket issues included value-added tax fraud, which followed child sexual exploitation."

    See: Migrant smuggling tops EU crime priorities (EUobserver, link)

    The EU policy cycle on serious and organised crime

    The EU policy cycle on serious and organised crime was first set up in 2010, having emerged from the Belgian-led ’Project Harmony’ aimed at enhancing cross-border police cooperation in the EU. It has become increasingly formalised and better-funded in recent years, with the establishment of an acronym-heavy management system based around Europol and the Council of the EU, in particular the Standing committeee on operational cooperation on internal security (COSI).