If we add people seeking political asylum to this number, the total number of illegal immigrants arriving in Europe each year would reach half a million.
As noted in the report, criminal organizations transporting illegal immigrants to European states often bribe or intimidate European officials responsible for controlling the entry of immigrants. Practice shows that the most effective means of combating such criminal structures is the use of undercover agents deployed by the police.
According to one of the report's authors, Paul Sylvester, an analyst at Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, the exchange of information between national police services is extremely important for combating the smuggling of illegal immigrants. Paul Sylvester considers it necessary to tighten criminal liability for organizers of criminal associations who, in pursuit of profit, endanger the lives of illegal workers.