The massive, high-profile Europe-wide people smuggling trial was brought before Judge Arabelle Bouts. Due to the scale of the trial and the severity of the crimes in the case, 33 suspected members of a Kurdish people smuggling network have appeared before Judge Bouts alongside key figure Mirkhan Rasoul, said to have orchestrated illegal Channel crossings – even from prison. The people smuggling gang is claimed to have profited hugely from overcrowded and dangerous small boat journeys, generating millions between 2020 and 2022.
Despite the trials and heavy sentences, many fear that this impact on the smuggling business will be minimal. For lead prosecutor Pascal Marconville, such strict sentences are part of a larger policy that is intended to raise costs and reduce the attractiveness of smuggling operations. Defense lawyer Kamal Abbas remains skeptical, pointing out that smuggling syndicates operate according to the principle of profitability, not consequences. Indeed, most of the ring leaders are believed to be still safe from the law.
The trial forms part of broader efforts across Europe to combat organized migrant smuggling, now helped by agencies such as Europol, which have scaled up operations in the past few years. Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre has played a critical role in dismantling networks and arresting high-value targets, although the industry’s evolution into a more organized and digital landscape poses ongoing challenges.
Controlling smuggling is very challenging as smuggling networks have adapted and modernized their techniques using technology, while it would be increasingly difficult for law enforcement to disrupt such an organized network effectively.