Brussels wants tougher laws against mafias that traffic migrants

BRUSELAS, 28 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The European Commission has asked this Tuesday to toughen legislation against mafias that traffic migrants, for which it has demanded a clear definition of the crime of trafficking to prosecute those who enrich themselves with illegal routes and sentences of at least 15 years in prison for the most serious cases that end in the death of those who try to reach the European Union.

"It's about putting the focus where it should be: punishing the mafias, never the migrants," Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson expressed at a press conference in Brussels, explaining some of the keys to the proposal that has been presented coinciding with the first call of the 'Global Alliance against human trafficking'.

Brussels wants to improve the regulatory framework in the European Union to have common minimum standards both to prevent the illegal transit of people and to counteract the activity of mafias that facilitate irregular transit and stay on community soil.

In this context, community services advocate harmonizing penalties against the most serious forms of migrant smuggling so that the maximum punishments for cases in which illegal activity results in the death of migrants are increased from 8 to at least 15 years. people.

To this end, it also warns of the need to have a clearer definition of the crime of smuggling that generates economic or material benefits, as well as when said activity has a high probability of causing serious harm to a person. Advertisements on social networks and other platforms encouraging illegal entry into the European Union should also be considered a crime, according to the proposal from the Community Executive.

Another key is that the jurisdiction of the Member States where the vessels or planes used to travel the illegal route were registered in situations on the high seas, as well as to crimes committed by legal entities operating in the EU.

Brussels clarifies on this point that the objective is to attack the mafias and therefore activities such as humanitarian assistance by NGOs, which have the legal obligation to search and rescue on the high seas, nor the help provided by family members or other migrants should not be criminalized. .

The means and resources available must also be strengthened so that national authorities can combat mafias, in addition to promoting the collection and exchange of data.