Smugglers are turning to perilous routes through the desert, or even dumping those hoping to reach North Africa. DW visited the transit hub of Agadez where efforts are being made to rescue migrants lost in the Sahara.
Europol set up a new task force in charge of combating human trafficking networks. Its head Robert Crepinko said that in addition to addressing new ways of smuggling, the task force would also deal with the use of fraudulent documents, money laundering and the role of social media in illegal migration. He also stressed that there is a rise in violence among smuggling gangs as a means to maximize profits.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has issued a warning that Mediterranean sea crossings have become increasingly dangerous for migrants. Analyzing statistical data, a representative of the UN refugee agency says that drownings have become much more likely to occur in recent years, partly due to changing refugee policies in the EU.
In the past few months, smugglers seem to have established a new clandestine route to bring African migrants to Europe. An increasing number of Cameroonians now find themselves 'trapped' in Cyprus after being sold a 'smuggle package' to Italy. Although Syrians still top the list of asylum seekers in Cyprus, Cameroonians are quickly catching up, and a growing number of other Africans are joining them. InfoMigrants went to Nicosia to investigate.
The alleged smugglers were filmed by the European border agency Frontex, appearing to transfer a total of 81 migrants from their fishing boat to a smaller boat not far from Italian waters.
Four years ago, the bodies of 71 migrants were found inside an abandoned truck in Austria. The main suspects had already been sentenced, but now an appeals court in Hungary has delivered the final ruling on the case.
The Greek coast guard arrested five people for alleged migrant smuggling on Sunday. The ring that transported migrants from Greece to Italy had been active for months, the coast guard said.
Cyprian police say they have stopped several dozen migrants trying to cross from the Turkish-controlled to the Greek part of the island. Earlier this month, more than 100 asylum seekers protested against poor job prospects and exploitation in Cyprus.
The EU border agency Frontex has denied having documented any "collusion" between NGOs and human traffickers. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had claimed earlier in the week that Frontex knew of NGOs aiding smugglers.
The French interior minister has said that non-government organizations play an essential role in providing aid to migrants. In a video posted on social media, he said he had not been questioning the sincerity of NGOs in commenting that some were proven to have links with traffickers.
More than 300 police have conducted raids across Cologne in an effort to break a suspected people-smuggling operation. Police searched properties at two locations in the city and arrested two suspects from Iraq.
Eight migrants have been rescued from a lorry near the border crossing in Ventimiglia. The migrants, who were from several African countries, had been having trouble breathing and were unable to open the truck from inside.