President von der Leyen this week gave the keynote speech at the second Conference of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling in Brussels. The conference took place just a day after a Council meeting for Home Affairs, where Ministers of Interior reached agreements on key migration laws.
The Council reached a general approach on three pivotal proposals to streamline EU migration management: a review of the safe third country concept; establishing an EU-wide list of safe countries of origin; and putting in place a common European system for the return of third-country nationals who do not have the right to stay in the EU. Furthermore, the ministers reached a political agreement on the proposed Council Implementing Decision on the establishment of the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026, which aims to provide support for Member States under migratory pressure.
The President underlined those achievements in her keynote speech to the Alliance, stating: "Just this week, after intensive work, we adopted the first ever Solidarity Measures. These kickstart the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Council also adopted a common position on returns and safe countries. This opens the door for negotiations with the European Parliament. I welcome these crucial milestones. These are more examples of how Europe is managing migration responsibly."
President von der Leyen announced that the Global Alliance will now step up its activities even further, with a new Joint Declaration to end the global migrant smuggling business model built on three principles.
The first principle of the Declaration is to prevent the illegal journeys from taking place. As the President said: "Our goal is to prevent the illegal journeys offered by smugglers. Every smuggling trip avoided is potentially a life saved." Prevention is being led though Comprehensive Partnerships to foster jobs and opportunities at home, alongside more investment in migration management and border control. New rapid response information campaigns, developed hand in hand with countries of origin and tailored to local audiences are another facet of the prevention. President von der Leyen also outlined the digital dimension to drive the gangs offline so they cannot promote their activities. Because: "what is illegal offline must also be illegal online."
The second principle is the need to strengthen the response to the crime of smuggling. This means more resources for Europol, an enhanced role for the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling and tripling the Frontex border force to 30,000 officers. The President of the Commission underlined: "Secure borders are vital to manage migration fairly and safely. But as the smugglers' operating model evolves, so must our response." This strengthened response further implies following the money back to the gangs, working more closely along smuggling routes, cutting off their financial flows, and seizing their ill-gotten gains.
The President also gave an update on the development of a new sanctions regime against smugglers which she had presented in her SOTEU address earlier this year, and the need to enhance cooperation between air transport operators and airports on the one hand and law enforcement on the other hand to adapt to new smuggling tactics going through commercial transport.
Concurrently with this work, the third principle of the Declaration is providing alternative options. She stressed: "We must also develop better alternatives to putting one's life in smugglers' hands. That is the challenge of today, both in the countries of origin and countries of destination."
Those alternatives include creating good jobs across the world, investing in skills and vocational training at home, and opening up safe pathways for work. The President stressed the importance of Global Gateway in the creation of jobs and in the investment in skills and vocational training. She also presented the new Talent Partnerships aimed at offering work routes into Europe. Elaborating on this other leg of the fight against smuggling, she shared: "This approach is, I am deeply convinced, a win-win for Europe and all our partners in this Alliance. People can develop new skills and find new opportunities at home. But it also gives young people a chance to thrive, and it makes Europe more competitive and attractive to innovative talent."
To achieve all these goals across the three pillars, the President thus announced a more formal structure for the Alliance to achieve its goals concluding with those words: "We all have a common goal: To drive the smugglers out of business, to save the lives of thousands of people who dream of a better life. There is a long way to go, and it is a bumpy road without a question, but our Alliance is growing."
