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The corona crisis makes human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Europe even more brutal and clandestine, says the European police organization Europol in The Hague.
All border controls and travel restrictions force criminals into new ways of making money from illegal and other unofficial migrants who want to enter or travel from one country to another.
Europol speaks of life-threatening criminal activities.
Due to the corona measures, smugglers shift their transport routes from air to transport over land and water.
For example, small boats are increasingly used to cross border rivers. Migrants are also hidden in trucks and freight trains that are still allowed to cross borders.
Besides, the risk of sexual exploitation is growing in countries where legal prostitution is now curtailed. Travel restrictions also complicate the arrival of seasonal agricultural workers. T
his can increase the demand for illegal migrants in Europe.
