A Critical Insight into Europe´s Criminalisation of Human Smuggling: SIEPS Policy Paper

Abstract

Despite being framed as a recent phenomenon, human smuggling practices have existed for a long time and have historically been tied to border crossing regulations and controls. What is relatively new however is the criminalisation of human smuggling. Since the 1990s human smuggling is increasingly penalised and criminalised in Western Europe. As a result of this, a shift in popular discourse around human smuggling is notable. Human smugglers today are generally perceived as ‘evil criminals’ who undermine states’ ability to manage migration and who need to be punished. This policy brief provides an overview of how smuggling has been framed over time in the European Union, and questions what the effects are of criminalising human smuggling for the protection of international migrants, dependent on smugglers for their mobility.