Director-General/Executive Director
Minister Nordio,
Excellencies,
Over the past two decades, we have taken important steps forward in the fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
It was here in Italy that the world established strong foundations for this fight, by conceiving the UN Convention against Transnational Crime, the UNTOC, as well as its protocols on migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
They are milestones that have guided fruitful efforts against those crimes.
But today, global dynamics and crises threaten to undo much of our hard-won progress.
Internal and cross-border conflicts, climate change, and the widening global financial divide are multiplying vulnerabilities around the world, with over 110 million people displaced worldwide by the end of 2023, according to UNHCR.
Criminal groups are taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, often at the cost of human life.
IOM estimates that in 2023, more than 8,500 irregular migrants died globally while on the move, a 20 per cent increase compared to 2022.
And the Mediterranean corridor remains the deadliest route, accounting for 3,100 of those deaths.
Yet despite the deadly risks, more and more people are undertaking these journeys.
UNODC estimates that over 290,000 migrants were smuggled from North Africa to Europe in 2023, primarily across the Central Mediterranean route.
This represents a 66 per cent increase compared to 2022.
Beyond the shores of Europe, we are also seeing transregional smuggling.
In Central America, over 500,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap in 2023, the highest number ever recorded in a single year, with many fleeing violence and crime in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti, and thousands more coming from Asia and Africa.
And in Southeast Asia, tens of thousands of migrants are smuggled to, from, and outside the region every year. Over 3,500 Rohingya refugees embarked on dangerous sea journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2023.
For smugglers, it is all about the bottom line: the migrant smuggling business is becoming a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise.
UNODC data estimates that between 5 to 7 billion dollars is generated in illicit revenue every year.
Smugglers are making over 150 million dollars annually in the Eastern Mediterranean alone, where a single crossing can cost up to 6,000 dollars, with migrants often attempting multiple journeys and therefore forced to make multiple payments.
And smuggling networks are concealing these returns through money laundering.
Meanwhile, people on the move are easy prey for human traffickers.
Preliminary findings from our upcoming Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, to be published by the fourth quarter of this year, suggest a resurgence in the number of trafficking victims identified in 2022, following a sharp drop during the COVID pandemic.
Child trafficking is also on the rise, with children accounting for 1 in 3 victims identified globally, exploited primarily for child labour and forced marriage.
Women and girls account for around 60 per cent of detected victims, and are more likely to suffer higher levels of abuse and gender-based violence.
Technology is increasingly facilitating these activities, through online sexual exploitation, and online recruitment of trafficking victims, and the advertising of smuggling services on social media.
Here again, it’s critical that responses evolve to keep up with this dynamic and rapidly changing landscape.
First, we must raise awareness on the threats and risks of these crimes among communities and policymakers, and to sensitize the public to the signs of exploitation and the dangers posed by smugglers and smuggling routes.
Second, we must strengthen law enforcement responses, including victim identification, as well as investigation and prosecution capacities, targeting those at the top of the criminal chain who are profiting.
Third, we must cut off the illicit profits driving these criminal activities, by disrupting financial flows, seizing assets, and addressing the corruption that enables these crimes.
We have spoken during the previous session about the complex convergence of money laundering and organized crime, and the need for coherent responses.
Fourth and finally, we must address the root causes pushing people into vulnerability.
These include tackling poverty and insecurity in countries of origin and providing opportunities for disillusioned youth, and promoting sustainable development, and I would like to commend Italy for launching the Mattei Plan to push for renewed investment in Africa.
It also includes expanding orderly, legal pathways to migration.
Migrants provide valuable skills boost in destination countries, especially those suffering from labour shortages.
We need to shift the narrative on migration by recognising the positive value that migrants bring to their destination countries.
They also generate huge income for countries of origin. A new IOM report shows a 650 per cent increase in international remittances between 2000 and 2022, with over 640 billion dollars sent by migrants to low- and middle-income countries.
It’s time we view migration as an asset, not as a liability; as an opportunity that source and destination countries should discuss and agree on mutually beneficial solutions, respecting rule of law and human rights.
Excellencies,
As the guardian of the UNTOC, UNODC is supporting Member States in tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Last month, I launched a new global programme to consolidate our work against human trafficking and migrant smuggling, placing a heavier emphasis on links with other forms of organized crime, as well as on victim support and South-South cooperation.
It will complement our existing efforts to train experts on the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases, provide legislative support, and work with our partners to tackle these crimes.
And we will continue to collect data on global trends through our reports, regional surveys, and migrant smuggling observatory to inform responses.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The G7 is a very important player in the fight against migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
You can mobilize collective action, political will, and the resources needed to address these transnational challenges, and I want to thank Italy for keeping these issues high on the G7 agenda during its Presidency.
UNODC is committed to working with the G7 and its Member States, using our unique mandate, as well as our substantial field presence and convening power, to build strong institutions and enhance international cooperation.
Thank you for inviting UNODC to join your important meeting, and for the Italian hospitality in this magical city of Venice.