Illegal immigration: EU plan against smugglers and the shadow economy

Illegal immigration to the EU is increasing. The EU Commission has therefore drawn up a new action plan. The focus is on people smugglers and the employment of migrants in the shadow economy.

In the first six months of the year, 60 percent more illegal border crossings were registered at the EU’s external borders than in the same period of the previous year. The trend is rising, says the EU Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, who is responsible for migration.

Problems on new and old migration routes

In the first half of the year, new migration routes were created in Eastern Europe. In addition, the already existing transit routes have again been used significantly more, for example in the central and eastern Mediterranean, according to Schinas.

Countries like Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Spain are under considerable pressure. The crisis in Afghanistan brings additional risks from more incoming refugees.

But only those who are in need of protection are accepted, says EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson. All others are sent back. This would reduce the incentives for irregular migration.

Sanctions against employers planned

It also has a deterrent effect if irregular migrants cannot expect to find a job in the shadow economy. The aim is to implement the directive on sanctions against employers across the EU, said Johansson. “Because the possibility of illegal employment is also a pull factor for irregular migration.”

The EU Commissioner assumes that illegal employment accounts for 17 percent of the European labor market. The construction industry, agriculture, home care and catering are particularly vulnerable. The proportion of illegal employees is also very high in delivery services.

Frontex is to be more closely involved

In order to act more effectively against human smugglers, the aim is to better support the transit countries in securing their borders and to put more emphasis on information campaigns to counter the false promises made by the smugglers.

90 percent of all migrants who enter the EU irregularly come with the help of smugglers, says Johansson. “In our new action plan, we therefore propose entering into operational partnerships with individual countries.” Agencies such as the border protection agency Frontex are also to be more closely involved. “We don’t want to wait until people are at our external border, we want to include all countries along a migration route.”

Belarus specifically promotes illegal migration

But there is also the new phenomenon that states encourage irregular migration. For example in Belarus, where refugees – especially from the Middle East – are brought to the EU’s external borders in an organized manner. The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is reacting to tightened western sanctions.

You will not allow yourself to be blackmailed, it said on the part of the EU Commission, which wants to enforce a suspension of the visa facilitations agreed a year ago. The 27 member states have to agree to this.