Los Estados deben seguir y seguirán dando prioridad a la mejora de la cooperación para reducir los movimientos irregulares y desmantelar las redes delictivas que hacen negocios con el tráfico de migrantes o la trata de personas, explotando la desesperación de los seres humanos y su anhelo de una vida mejor. (Peter Sutherland, Exrepresentante Especial sobre la Migración)

Debido a su carácter transnacional, el tráfico de migrantes es un delito polifacético que solo puede combatirse eficazmente con una respuesta transnacional coordinada. Los traficantes determinan sus modus operandi aprovechando las deficiencias de la cooperación a lo largo de las rutas de tráfico. Las redes de colaboración que crean ágilmente para cometer sus crímenes no conocen fronteras lingüísticas, culturales ni geográficas. En cambio, las fuerzas del orden y los investigadores encargados de combatir el tráfico de migrantes han demostrado ser menos capaces de cooperar y coordinar sus esfuerzos para desarticular esas actividades ilegales. Un problema no indiferente es la falta de capacidades jurídicas y técnicas para la cooperación entre los países. Otro es la desconfianza entre los organismos, que pueden no estar dispuestos a cooperar con sus homólogos a nivel regional o internacional. Para combatir las redes de tráfico en todas sus facetas se requiere una mejor cooperación regional e internacional, en que las respuestas de la justicia penal de los distintos países se complementen y refuercen mutuamente.

Cooperación y coordinación a nivel nacional

Debido a las complejidades de la investigación y el enjuiciamiento de los casos de tráfico de migrantes, se necesita la participación de una variedad de actores. El Protocolo contra el Tráfico Ilícito de Migrantes no prescribe el modo en que los organismos nacionales deben coordinar sus funciones y responsabilidades. Sin embargo, muchos Estados han establecido órganos o comités de coordinación entre organismos para el trabajo conjunto de todos los sectores del gobierno en las cuestiones relacionadas con el tráfico. El enfoque pangubernamental ayuda no solo a elaborar e implementar respuestas estratégicas y de política, sino también a realizar operaciones eficaces. El tráfico de migrantes es una empresa polifacética, que debe afrontarse con un enfoque multidisciplinario que incluya no solo el nivel interministerial sino también la cooperación con actores no estatales. Las organizaciones no gubernamentales, las organizaciones internacionales y el sector privado pueden apoyar las respuestas nacionales en diversas iniciativas de creación de capacidad, coordinación e intercambio de buenas prácticas (OIM, 2018i: 116). Por ejemplo, el hecho de invitar a organizaciones de la sociedad civil a participar en las operaciones de lucha contra el tráfico de migrantes es fundamental para ofrecer protección y asistencia a los migrantes, y puede contribuir a empoderar a estos últimos para que apoyen a los oficiales gubernamentales en la investigación y el enjuiciamiento de los traficantes.

Los problemas que entorpecen la cooperación eficaz de los actores son considerables, especialmente cuando los intereses y las agendas no coinciden, o incluso se contraponen.

Cooperación entre organismos

Las investigaciones a gran escala pueden requerir la participación de diferentes organismos responsables de perseguir distintos crímenes que acompañan el tráfico de migrantes o se derivan de él. Las leyes y procedimientos deberían facilitar la cooperación de estas instituciones. 

Example
Sharing information during the investigation process

Prosecutors and investigators should consult with one another not only when required by law but when advice is needed or could be useful during an investigation. This includes advice or consultation concerning:

  • The admissibility and orders regarding the collection of evidence;
  • The determination of appropriate charges;
  • The assessment of the strength of the case, including the credibility of witnesses;
  • The preparation of the prosecution brief and the gathering of materials that will be required for various post-charge purposes such as bail;
  • The preparation for freezing relevant assets.
Policy Approaches
Establishing an inter-agency coordinating body on migrant smuggling

States will benefit from establishing a national coordinating body to implement the United Nations Smuggling of Migrants Protocol. Such an agency will help with policy development, planning and sharing information on the smuggling of migrants.

  • Situate this agency in the ministry of home affairs or within the most relevant department or agency dealing with border and migration management.
  • Establish the authority of the agency to work on smuggling-related issues across government by coordinating with ministries of foreign affairs, employment, health, education, security and others involved as necessary. All relevant stakeholders, including migration actors, should be aware of any mechanisms in place for multi-agency cooperation, and should understand their own roles and responsibilities with regard to migrant smuggling, as well as the roles and mandates of potential partners.
  • Formalize arrangements with non-state actors through memorandums of understanding (MoU) or other appropriate arrangements to assign them a formal role in coordination structures such as referral mechanisms and in committee structures.
  • Ensure regular meetings of relevant actors to allow for individual cases to be discussed and for budgetary or procedural issues to be addressed in advance of any operation.
  • Put in place mechanisms to come into effect on an ad hoc or informal basis in response to emergency situations such as mass arrivals of smuggled migrants. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) can provide a legal basis for such initiatives.
  • Encourage the agency to build trust among all stakeholders as a crucial component of long-term institutional capacity-building to counter the smuggling of migrants and to protect migrants.

There are many examples of good practice in cooperation against smuggling that demonstrate how different actors, even with different interests and agendas, can be brought together to respond to the smuggling of migrants in a comprehensive, effective and sustainable way.

Good Practice
Ethiopia’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Task Force

Ethiopia’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Task Force coordinates government efforts on the smuggling of migrants and returnees, bringing together government agencies, NGOs and international organizations as well as faith-based organizations. Working groups on specific issues operate within the task force.

Cooperación y coordinación a nivel regional y bilateral

Varios procesos regionales, entre ellos los señalados en los Diálogos de políticas interestatales, apoyan la cooperación y colaboración y el intercambio de información y buenas prácticas en la lucha contra el tráfico de migrantes. Las plataformas regionales pueden ser puntos de contacto para cooperar en el fortalecimiento de la capacidad y del intercambio de información transfronterizo.

Policy Approaches
Regional cooperation practices on migrant smuggling

States can jointly elaborate regional and subregional treaties in line with the UNTOC, United Nations Smuggling of Migrants Protocol and human rights standards.

States can establish cooperative mechanisms to:

  • Confiscate the proceeds of smuggling;
  • Provide assistance to identify, trace and seize assets associated with smuggling;
  • Establish regional mechanisms for judicial processes;
  • Explore sustainable alternatives to migration.

At the cross-border level, States are advised to enter into bilateral arrangements to:

  • Respond to smuggling and protect migrants;
  • Share and exchange information on nationality and residence;
  • Strengthen cross-border investigations;
  • Conduct joint cross-border investigations;
  • Cooperate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) (Mann, 2018: 127).

Crucially, bilateral agreements should be informed by a full understanding of root causes and wider trends, so they do not simply divert smuggling routes and the dangers that occur along them.

Read more policy approaches on bilateral, regional and international cooperation mechanisms in Integrated border management systems.

Good Practice
Selected regional organizations coordinating the migrant smuggling response

Bali Task Force on Planning and Preparedness

Following the Southeast Asian Andaman Sea crisis of 2015, in which thousands of migrants were left stranded and hundreds died, affected States came together to acknowledge the failure of their political commitments to effectively result in action. They established the Task Force on Planning and Preparedness to better prepare themselves to effectively respond to the irregular movement of migrants at sea, including movement facilitated by smugglers.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency

In the European Union, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) plays a key role in bringing States and other actors together to address the issue as well as in setting the standards and collecting and disseminating the best practices in countering migrant smuggling.

Cooperación y coordinación a nivel internacional

La colaboración entre los países de origen, de tránsito y de destino requiere un compromiso mutuo, una visión común y armonizada basada en un mismo marco jurídico, asociaciones igualitarias con buena capacidad operacional y, lo que es más difícil de lograr, un alto grado de confianza.

Independientemente de los acuerdos que hayan firmado los Estados, en la práctica la cooperación puede ser tensa, cuando los intereses son diametralmente opuestos.

La cooperación prevista en el Protocolo no se limita a los esfuerzos operacionales, sino que comprende también otras formas de apoyo mutuo de los Estados, como el intercambio de información, la asistencia técnica, la creación conjunta de capacidad y la lucha contra las causas socioeconómicas profundas del tráfico de migrantes. Los Estados que no son partes en el Protocolo deberían utilizar igualmente sus disposiciones al concertar acuerdos, para contribuir al establecimiento de una base jurídica común.

La cooperación judicial y las investigaciones conjuntas son cruciales, y deben integrarse en un enfoque holístico que ofrezca a los migrantes alternativas eficaces al uso del tráfico para la reunificación familiar y acceso a protección.

Policy Approaches
Forms of international cooperation on migrant smuggling

Provisions in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC):

  • Extradition (article 16). UNTOC may be used as a direct legal basis for requesting and granting extradition for individuals charged or punished for migrant smuggling offenses.
  • Mutual legal assistance (article 18). UNTOC requires States Parties to afford one another the widest measure of legal assistance in investigations, prosecutions and judicial proceedings in relation to smuggling offenses. Mutual legal assistance requests can be made in order to secure evidence located in a country other than that in which the prosecution takes place, such as requests to take evidence or statements from persons, identify witnesses and suspects, execute search and seizures or transfer prisoners to provide evidence.
  • Joint investigations (article 19). Joint investigations by law enforcement agencies can be a useful tool when more than one State has jurisdiction over the offenses involved or where the offenses are expected to have repercussions in more than one State. They can be established on a bilateral basis or coordinated through international police agencies such as Interpol.
  • Law enforcement cooperation (article 27). Cooperation between law enforcement authorities includes exchanging information and cooperating in conducting inquiries.
  • Information collection and exchange (article 28). Exchanges of information between law enforcement, border control and regulatory agencies is a fast and effective form of informal cooperation. This allows counterparts from different national agencies to swiftly exchange intelligence – without a formal mutual assistance request – on aspects such as embarkation and destination points, the modus operandi of smugglers, document verification and proactive intelligence gathering.

Provisions in the United Nations Smuggling of Migrants Protocol:

  • Cooperation at sea (articles 7 and 8).
  • Information collection and exchange (article 10),
  • Cooperation in border control (article 11[6]) among border control agencies by establishing and maintaining direct channels of communication.
  • Training and technical cooperation to prevent smuggling while respecting rights (article 14).
  • Cooperation in addressing root causes (article 15[c]).

Cooperation in return of smuggled migrants (article 18).

Read more on law enforcement and border cooperation in Chapter Regulating migration: Border management.

Smuggling of migrants at sea

The United Nations Smuggling of Migrants Protocol requires States to cooperate in preventing and countering migrant smuggling by sea, but clarifies that such measures should strictly observe the international law of the sea. Read more on the law of the sea.

Article 8 of the United Nations Smuggling of Migrants Protocol sets out a mechanism to take cooperative measures against the smuggling of migrants by sea.

Policy Approaches
Measures for search and intercept of vessels suspected of transporting smuggled migrants
  • States may request the assistance of other States in suppressing the use of a vessel suspected of engaging in migrant smuggling, irrespective of the maritime zone in which that vessel is located (where the vessel is flying that State’s flag or claiming its registry or, while not flying that State’s flag, has in reality the nationality of that State);
  • States suspecting that a foreign vessel is engaged in smuggling need the prior authorization of the flag State to board and search the vessel;
  • States suspecting that a vessel without nationality is engaged in smuggling can board and search the vessel and take measures in accordance with domestic and international law;
  • Boarding State must ensure the safety and humane treatment of persons on board at all times;
  • States should designate an authority to receive and respond to requests for assistance, including the confirmation of vessel registry, its right to fly its flag and authorization to take appropriate measures; see the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) cooperation tool, an online directory of competent national authorities for extradition requests and mutual legal assistance.
  • Measures taken at sea should be carried out by warships or military aircraft or by ships or aircraft clearly marked and identifiable as being on government service.
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