France Intensifies Crackdown on Migrant Smuggling Networks

Over 4,000 smugglers were arrested in 2024 as the government unveils new measures to combat illegal migration and trafficking operations.

The French government announced a comprehensive plan to combat migrant smuggling, including enhanced intelligence coordination and advanced technology deployment.
In 2024, more than 4,000 smugglers were arrested, with 269 trafficking networks dismantled, including 22 specifically targeting small-boat crossings to the UK.
Small-boat crossings across the English Channel rose by 24% last year, with over 36,000 migrants reaching the UK and 78 reported deaths during these perilous journeys.
The smuggling networks exploit migrants through forced labor, extortion, and violence, often using unsafe, makeshift boats for crossings.
The Office of Migrant Smuggling Control (Oltim) will collaborate with multiple agencies, bolstered by new legal tools and financial tracking measures to disrupt trafficking operations.