The number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea has been constantly rising, and with it the number people who perished while trying to reach Europe. 2014 only saw 220 000 migrants crossing the sea and approximatively 3000 were left dead. In its press release dated from 17 March 2015, Europol points out the important role played by organised criminal groups in those tragedies by facilitating the transport of  irregular migrants across the sea as well as taking part in activities linked to human trafficking, drugs, firearms and terrorism.

In order to face this issue and to combat irregular migration, a new initiative has been launched at the EU level today, 17 March: the Joint Operational Team Mare. Established in Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, this intelligence-led European response aims to fight those organised criminal groups by combining Europol's unique intelligence resources and Member States' capabilities to carry out coordinated actions against the facilitators. Actions against those groups will rely on intensified exchange of intelligence and cooperation between Members States, Europol and other actors such as Interpol and Frontex.

More information can be found in Europol’s press release.