People smuggling is a highly profitable business and smugglers and criminal networks take advantage of those seeking a better life—charging high prices for dangerous and illegal journeys, with migrants extremely vulnerable to other forms of crime including trafficking. Costs and bureaucracy associated with regular migration pathways can push people towards choosing riskier options, where they can become easy targets for smugglers and traffickers.
A coordinated response from governments is necessary to effectively detect people smuggling operations and undertake disruption activities. The Covid-19 pandemic created a unique environment for the people smuggling trade—and the reopening of international borders in 2022 has resulted in a quick rebound of people smuggling activity with an increasing reliance on technology as a key facilitator of smuggling.
Tuan Meedin, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sri Lanka joined the RSO office as a secondee in August 2023, where he worked with the RSO’s Countering People Smuggling programme to facilitate a two-way exchange of experiences and knowledge.
