How unregulated migration flows fuel criminal networks and challenge public policy

International migration, especially across the Mediterranean, has become one of the greatest humanitarian, legal and diplomatic challenges of our time. Recent statistics show a significant increase in the number of arrivals via sea routes from North Africa to Europe, particularly through Libya and Tunisia.

This migratory flow, when combined with economic vulnerabilities, lack of governance and the actions of transnational criminal networks, creates a context conducive to the emergence and expansion of crime, human trafficking, smuggling, exploitation of vulnerable people and money laundering, requiring a multidisciplinary approach that combines criminology, law and diplomacy.

1. Recent data on migration across the Mediterranean

In 2023, approximately 212,100 migrants and refugees attempted to cross the central Mediterranean Sea, the route from Libya and Tunisia to Italy and Malta, an increase of 52% compared to 2022.

Of these, around 150,300 reached Europe.

Tunisia, until then a secondary route, became the main gateway to Europe in 2023, surpassing Libya in terms of the number of departures, a fact noted by European border agencies.

Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the total number of irregular arrivals in Europe via sea routes increased by around 69%.

These figures illustrate that migration remains intense and that conditions of vulnerability accompany this flow, creating an ideal scenario for criminal networks to operate.

2. Vulnerabilities and associated crime

Irregular crossing involves high risks:

Migrants lose institutional protection, leaving them at the mercy of traffickers, smugglers, and exploitation networks.

Political instability in countries of origin or transit, such as Libya, exacerbates the situation, facilitating the activities of militias and criminal networks.

The lack of safe legal migration routes and reception policies makes migrants vulnerable, easy targets for slave labour, abuse, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and money laundering. In other words, irregular migration does not in itself generate crime, but it creates an environment where crime flourishes.

3. The intersection between criminology, law and diplomacy

3.1 Criminology and prevention

Studying the social, economic, and structural determinants of migration allows us to understand where and how criminal networks operate. Based on this understanding, it becomes possible to develop prevention policies capable of attacking the root causes, rather than just the symptoms.

3.2 Criminal law and legal protection

It is essential that national and international legal systems protect vulnerable migrants, especially refugees, victims of trafficking and migrants in an irregular situation, while severely punishing criminal networks that exploit these vulnerabilities.

3.3 International diplomacy and transnational cooperation

Migration is a global phenomenon that requires global responses. No single country can tackle networks that operate across multiple territories. International cooperation, information sharing, anti-crime treaties, coordinated migration policies and the protection of human rights are essential.

4. Social and humanitarian impacts

The criminalisation of irregular migration and xenophobia increase the suffering of migrants and hinder social integration.

Thousands die in the Mediterranean or go missing — a constant risk. According to international agencies, the central Mediterranean route remains the deadliest on the planet.

The consequences transcend borders: they become humanitarian crises, irregular labour forces, human trafficking, social instability and global vulnerability.

Conclusion and recommendations

The relationship between migration and crime requires a broad perspective. Criminalising migrants ignores the structural factors of vulnerability. The real solution involves:

• legal migration routes and public reception policies;

• international legal and diplomatic cooperation;

• coordinated efforts to combat transnational criminal networks;

• protection of migrants’ human rights and dignity;

• investment in data, social integration and inclusion.

Migration is a global challenge — treating it solely as a security issue oversimplifies what is, above all, a human issue.

References (selection)

• UNHCR & IOM, Joint Annual Overview 2023, “Central Mediterranean Sea movements”
• UNHCR, West and Central Mediterranean Situation – Global Report 2022/2023
• NRC, “10 Things You Should Know About the Central Mediterranean Migration Route”, 2024.
• Prisme Initiative, “Security & Illegal Migration Policies – North Africa”, 2025.

Maya Nascimento is a contributor and guest researcher at Brussels Diplomatic, with contributions dedicated to topics of global relevance, especially at the intersections between security, governance, and human rights. She works in the field of Criminal Law and holds a degree in Criminology Technology, with complementary training in Applied Criminal Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Psychopathology.

Her academic and professional career focuses on the study of human behaviour, the dynamics of violence and changes in contemporary crime, with particular attention to the social and political impacts of migration flows. She develops analyses that link social integration, public safety and criminal policies, adopting a multidisciplinary perspective aligned with the current demands of the justice system.

She has participated in academic publications, lectures, and research focused on international issues, including contributions to COP30, in which she examined social vulnerability, climate governance, and preventive practices in the criminal field. Her work combines technical rigour, humanistic vision, and diplomatic sensitivity, characteristics that mark her production and her collaboration in the magazine.