Joint Team on crimes against migrants on the Central Mediterranean Route

What is the Joint Team?

Background

2013 saw an unprecedented spike in the departure of boats with migrants from Libyan shores heading to Europe, organized by extremely violent criminal organisations. Several large shipwrecks occurred near the Italian coast following this spike. As a result, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (hereafter: UK) and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (hereafter: ICC-OTP) started exploring the possibility to combine forces and expertise in the battle against the key criminal actors and criminal organizations behind the smuggling activities on the route from the Horn of Africa, through Libya, to Europe and further. The discussions eventually resulted in the setting up of a Joint Team (hereafter: JT) focussing on crimes against migrants on the so-called Central Mediterranean Route (hereafter: CMR). While not a signatory partner, Europol has been supporting the Member States joining forces under the JT, by engaging expertise and capabilities available in the Agency, and contributing within its mandate, with information and analysis services.