Migrant Smuggling Patterns and Challenges for Law Enforcement

By Yvon Dandurand

The migrant smuggling networks’ decentralized structure, adaptability, and corrupt contacts render them resilient to disruption by law enforcement agencies. The fact that in recent years very few investigations have actually led to the neutralization or dismantlement of any of the very active transnational migrant smuggling networks operating in our country certainly suggests the need to reconsider present law enforcement methods and strategies and to improve international law enforcement cooperation in these matters. Given the wide variations that exist in the nature, scope and complexity of smuggling operations, it is imperative for law enforcement to be both flexible and strategic and to base its interventions on a good understanding of the criminal networks and illicit markets involved

Vancouver, BC: International Centre for Criminal Law Reform, 2020. 32p.