Europe wants tougher laws against mafias that traffic in immigrants

 

• Brussels says it will not criminalize NGO humanitarian assistance
  
  The European Commission has today asked to toughen the legislation against mafias that traffic in immigrants . He has demanded a clear definition of the crime of trafficking to pursue those who get rich from the illegal routes and sentences of at least fifteen years in prison for the most serious cases that end in the death of those trying to reach the European Union.

• "It's about putting the focus where it needs to be: punishing the mafias, never the migrants", said the Commissioner of the Interior, Ylva Johansson , at a press conference in Brussels .

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

• In this context, the community services are in favor of harmonizing the penalties against the most serious forms of immigrant trafficking so that the maximum punishments for cases where the illegal activity has been increased from eight to at least fifteen years resulting in the death of people.

  For this reason, 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 it has a high probability of causing serious harm to people. Advertisements on social networks and other platforms encouraging people to enter the European Union illegally will also be considered a crime, according to the EU executive's proposal.

• Another of the keys is that the jurisdiction of the member states where the boats or aircraft used to travel the illegal route were registered is applied 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 the humanitarian assistance of NGOs , which have the legal obligation of search and rescue on the high seas, should not be criminalized. nor the help of relatives or other immigrants.

  The means and resources available for national authorities to fight mafias will also have to be strengthened, as well as the collection and sharing of data.