The Justice and Home Affairs Council of 25/02/2016 discussed the current migratory situation, including the monitoring of implementation of the measures already agreed at recent meetings of the European Council and Justice and Home Affairs Council.

Today Europol launched the new European Migrant Smuggling Center (EMSC) to pro-actively support EU Member States in dismantling criminal networks involved in organized migrant smuggling.

The 2015 Annual Report on trafficking and smuggling in human beings is now available in English. This report is produced by Myria, the Belgian Federal Migration Centre and the independent National Rapporteur on trafficking in human beings.

On 12-13 January, the EMN conference gathered over 200 participants to provide impetus for the implementation of the EU Action Plan against Smuggling. The conference resulted in concrete recommendations to better address migrant smuggling.

The European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, writes on the challenge of the migration issue.

A pan-european operation dismantled a migrant smuggling network, generating 77 arrests.

On the occasion of the European Parliament plenary session of 13 January 2015, Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos spoke on human smuggling in the Mediterranean and the needed reaction of the EU

William Lacy Swing, Director General IOM, stresses that already in 2014 over 2,200 migrants have died attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. That’s three times 2013’s total!

The tragedy in Lampedusa prompted an unprecedented call for action by EU leaders and citizens. On 4 December, the Commission proposed ways to increase solidarity and mutual support in order to prevent migrants' death in the Mediterranean.

On 2 December the European Border Surveillance System becomes operational. EUROSUR will make an important contribution to saving lives and will also equip the EU and its Member States with better tools to prevent cross-border crimes and to detect and provide assistance to migrant boats in distress.

Today, 18 October 2013, three international anti-trafficking expert mechanisms called for a global response to fight the transnational scourge of trafficking in persons.

Today, 30 september, an Inter-Ministerial Conference on the application of the International Convention for the suppression of the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others, by the EU Member States, has taken place in Brussels, at the eve of it's 65th birthday.

At the occasion of the 13th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference in Vienna, discussions focus on inequalities linked with migration and the labour market, that increase vulnerabilities to trafficking.

This conference aimed at exploring the latest evidence and policy perspectives on the identification and investigation of human trafficking offenses.

Today the Royal Decree, signed by Ms Maggie de Block and Ms Annemie Turtelboom on 18 April 2013, recognizing Pakoke, Pag-Asa and Sürya as specialized centres for the reception of victims of trafficking in human beings, was published in the Belgian Official Gazette.

Eurostat and DG Home Affairs are publishing the first report on statistical data on trafficking in human beings at EU level, covering the reference years 2008, 2009 and 2010.

At the occasion of the IE EMN NCP conference in Dublin, a wide audience, including national policy makers and experts as well as representatives from the Commission and other NCPs, discussed protection challenges.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) achieved a Political Agreement on the Reception Conditions Directive, discussed recent developments in Syria and council conclusions were endorsed concerning the new EU strategy to combat human trafficking.

In its latest annual report, published today, the Council of Europe’s anti-trafficking watchdog GRETA (Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings) urges countries across the continent to step up the fight against human trafficking.

The Belgian Minister of Justice and the State Secretary for Immigration and Asylum have presented a new national action plan to combat trafficking in human beings and human smuggling to the Belgian Council of Ministers.

The Frontex Risk Analysis Network (FRAN) released its newest quarterly report, covering January - March 2011

The Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism (Centre) publishes the English version of its Annual Report on Trafficking & Smuggeling 2009, which was published in French and Dutch in October 2010

The Council adopted the new directive on trafficking in human beings as proposed by the Commission last spring