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Introduction
Despite the stage of development of modern society, there are still many severe global problems in the world. One of them is the illegal smuggling, which has negative consequences for both the political, economic, and social spheres. Consequently, this research paper aims to consider the issue of illegal transportation of emigrants into the territories of countries and the legislation of the United Kingdom related to this issue.
What is Human Smuggling?
First of all, it is necessary to gain a clear understanding of what the topic under study is. This process implies the unauthorized smuggling to the territory of a particular country in order to make any profit. Its number depends on specific intentions, tasks, or even orders from other criminals. Research indicated that “two of the principal smuggling routes – leading from East, North and West Africa to Europe and from South America to North America – generate about $6.75 billion a year for criminals” (“Smuggling of migrants: the harsh search for a better life,” n.d., para. 2). Human smuggling is a global concern, as it affects all states, which are both the starting and ending points of this activity (Campana, 2017). A particular difficulty in solving this issue is the fact that irregular migration of people occurs everywhere, which becomes an obstacle for the authorities.
The main reason why the illegal transportation of people into the territory of countries has not yet decreased is the desire of people to find a better life. Research stated that “migrant smuggling emerges where borders are fixed and protected by a border bureaucracy, which includes crossing points, border guards, passport controls, entry visas, and stamps on one’s passport” (Triandafyllidou, 2018, p. 213). Due to dissatisfaction with the situation in their native country, low status, and financial situation, individuals see salvation in moving to other places (Europe and the refugee crisis: a challenge to our civilization, 2021). However, not everyone has the opportunity to take this step legally (Diba et al., 2019). This is what provokes the growth of smuggling since such people are the easiest target for criminals. Thus, deciding on this action, people, in turn, put their lives and their well-being at risk. For example, due to such a method of transportation as an industrial container, some individuals may suffocate and die or drown in the sea due to the negligent attitude of profit-seeking criminals.
Criminals who are engaged in the illegal transportation of people into the territory of a particular country can be completely different. Several people are involved in this process at once, some are directly involved in smuggling people, and someone is regular transportation or is an agent between the links. This is an entire industry that has multiple branches and relationships between its parts (Triandafyllidou, 2018). All this applies to both small and more significant groups, which differ in the level of training and organization. It is also worth noting that organizations that many people would not even think about are involved in this process. Hence, it may even be opportunistic carriers or hospitality providers who, in pursuit of money, are ready to ignore many things.
Moreover, like other forms of organized crime in the modern world, criminals who smuggle people into the country continue to increase their activities. This is done by shifting routes in a bid to expand into other markets and not be caught by local authorities. Criminals form agreements and partnerships by expanding their capabilities and creating their own market for the illegal, dangerous movement of people. Thus, they become only a means to achieve material well-being, just like drugs and weapons.
Furthermore, one of the levers to increase the profit of criminals is to use in their favor the lack of legal opportunities for migration. This consists not only in providing an underground method of transportation from the country but also forgery of documents, which include a passport, the falsification of travel, or identity documents (Aloyo & Cusumano, 2018). The situation is aggravated by the fact that criminals who do not pursue the law remain in a winning position; thereby, the victims cannot do anything since they themselves may be punished. Thus, the illegal transportation of migrants into the country contributes to an increase in the number of deaths and violent acts.
Henceforth, many foreigners are subjected to inappropriate treatment during the smuggling process. This is also due to the fact that they are ready to do anything in order to fulfill their dream. As already mentioned, people travel in containers where they suffocate or in boxes, being exposed to injuries and other harm to health. People who resort to these services are most often at risk of being abducted or sold into other criminal activities (Leslie, 2018). Migrants with little financial resources may choose a “pay-as-you-go” policy (Smuggling of migrants: the harsh search for a better life, n.d.). This option is provided as small payments for different parts of the journey to various criminals who assist them in this.
Europe’s Refugee Crisis
Special attention should be paid to the refugee crisis in Europe, which has had a significant contribution to the development of human smuggling at the global level. This is due to the fact that in 1989, European countries were afraid that the flow of migrants could destroy their economic and social life (Greussing & Boomgaarden, 2017; Agustín & Jørgensen, 2018). Thus, a specialized border control program was adopted. It included measures such as equalization by the visa program, in which the initiative was later sent to the south. Further, the crisis ensured that airlines enforced these visa requirements before embarking by introducing stiff fines (Stokes, 2019). The last significant step was the introduction of specialized new technologies that range from databases to biometric identity documents
The European government has realized that it cannot fight the problems alone. Thus, it has started implementing a policy to combat the problem of migrant smuggling. Moreover, the driving force was condemnation for the fact that the previous policy only contributed to the growth of this type of crime. Thus, the settlement of routes that transport people illegally can contribute to more functional changes. Strict regulation and monitoring of this industry can cause a decrease in the number of migrants transported. This measure includes a more detailed examination of the transported products and things, strict regulation, and constant inspection on the ship or air transport.
It is also worth noting that the policy of the European crisis further contributed to the establishment of smuggling as a separate market. Due to the regulatory laws and regulations introduced by countries, criminals have become afraid of being caught and imprisoned. This motivated them to raise prices for their services, which was the result of an increase in profit margins. Therefore, in this industry, more service providers and consumers began to be clearly overlooked as on the market. Thus, the policy of Europe had a completely different outcome compared to what was initially intended. That is, there was an increase in the supply of smuggling services, higher prices, and elevated risks.
Challenges for the Law Enforcement
Due to the fact that the illegal transportation of migrants and the problems arising as a result of it attracts more attention from the public, challenges arise for representatives of the law. Moreover, this is facilitated by the fact that this type of crime has a complex structure and many loopholes, because of which it is sometimes difficult to catch and blame the perpetrators (Modern slavery, human trafficking, and smuggling, 2020). Thus, law enforcement agencies should be able to accurately identify illegal actions, be flexible and gain an accurate understanding and necessary knowledge about the problem of migrant smuggling.
It is worth remembering that the illegal transportation of people from one country to another involves many operations. This process also includes the financial costs of both criminals and migrants possible risks and problems associated with crossing borders (Campana, & Gelsthorpe, 2021). Another factor is also the duration and complexity of transportation and the chosen transport and route (Campana, 2020). Examples may be the choice of a ship or aircraft, depending on the possibility and availability of obtaining or falsifying the necessary documents for transport services. With a more detailed examination of migrant smuggling networks, it can be concluded that their activities are the basis of the entire market is, the provision of illegal activities as a service (Maher, 2018). Thus, people smuggling is a whole criminal business industry providing services to migrants and refugees.
The difficulty for the law enforcement agencies is the fact of the constant variability of illegal systems for the transportation of people from country to country. This is due to the constant adaptation of criminal schemes to external and internal conditions and changeable structures and relationships. Moreover, these sellers of illegal services have learned to adapt to the pressure exerted by law enforcement agencies (Carling, 2017). In addition, despite this, many migrants, in order to ensure the safety of other such applicants, are engaged in the dissemination of information about reliable smugglers. This is due to the fact that these aspects are crucial for making a decision on illegal migration, which can become a valuable source for law enforcement agencies. However, in this case, representatives need to be as careful and thoughtful as possible since this information, despite its availability, is subject to strict concealment from strangers.
Another problem may be the insufficient level of trust of migrants in law enforcement agencies. This feeling arises for many reasons, for example, the migration policy of the country, which violates the rights of visiting citizens (Scipioni, 2018). Moreover, when entering foreign territory, migrants immediately feel discrimination in their direction, which makes them trust criminals more than law enforcement agencies. Finally, illegal migrants are often very well aware of the limitations of the police in protecting their rights from situations that put them at risk.
One of the most critical challenges for law enforcement agencies is the fact that they are obliged to ensure the preservation of life and all people involved in the process. Human life is a top priority for the Governments of all countries (Charlesworth, 2018). Since many people die during improper and dangerous transportation, this problem is of particular seriousness (Zimmerman & Kiss, 2017). Moreover, difficulties may arise due to the fact that the legislation of the two countries includes the process of illegal transportation of migrants. Moreover, some substantial evidence and data for the investigation can be obtained only on the territory of another country, which will also require the establishment of agreements and a temporary resource. This means that cooperation between States is essential. From the psychological side, challenges may arise related to pressure on witnesses and witnesses. Many immigrants have to face threats of retaliation in the case of testifying against criminals. Out of fear for themselves, their stay in the country, and their loved ones, many refuse to cooperate with the investigation and law enforcement agencies.
Conclusion
Therefore, this work considered the problem of illegal transportation of migrants into the territory of European countries, or in other words, smuggling. This problem is relevant for residents of developing countries who are dissatisfied with their standard of living and want to leave the country but cannot for various reasons. Because of this, they turn to criminals for expensive services, which in recent years contributed to the development of a particular illegal market. Europe should take and adhere to strict measures to eliminate this problem and monitor routes to avoid negative consequences. This is due to the fact that illegal migration can result in the death of an individual. It is noted that some aspects of the policy against migrants in Europe, on the contrary, contribute to the development of the smuggling market, which also requires timely solutions.
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