| Author (Corporate) | European Commission: DG Communication |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Speeches |
| Series Details | SPEECH/15/4614 (17.03.15) |
| Publication Date | 15/03/2015 |
| Content Type | News |
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Text of a speech by European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos held in The Hague on 17 March 2015. The influx of migrants via the Mediterranean Sea has been exponentially rising, with 220,000 migrants crossing in 2014. Apart from putting intense immigration pressure on countries such as Greece and Italy, before the migrants arrive they have often taken very risky journeys across the Mediterranean to get there. Intelligence shows that organised criminal groups are actively facilitating the transport of these irregular migrants across the Mediterranean, and these groups have also been linked to human trafficking, drugs, firearms and terrorism. The migrants are exploited by the criminal groups who give them false promises and set them out to sea on vessels that jeopardise their lives. More than 3000 people drowned in the Mediterranean en route to Europe in 2014 and there have been 1000 deaths in 2015 alone. This problem features high on the agenda of Europol, the European Commission and concerned EU Member States, who recognise that a more balanced strategy is required to combat this irregular migration as well as the refocusing of law enforcement resources to disrupt the organised crime groups involved. Shifts in volumes using different routes demonstrate how organised criminal groups are very apt at responding to law enforcement initiatives. The intelligence-led, European response to this problem is the establishment of the Joint Operational Team (JOT) Mare, which launched on the 17 March 2015. Hosted at Europol headquarters in The Hague, JOT Mare will tackle the organised criminal groups who are facilitating the journeys of migrants by ship across the Mediterranean Sea to the EU. |
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| Source Link | http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-15-4614_en.htm |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Northern Africa |
