The new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) investigates the involvement of organized criminal groups in the smuggling of migrants from West Africa towards the European Union (EU).

A pan-european operation dismantled a migrant smuggling network, generating 77 arrests.

The Joint Operational Team (JOT) Mare, a new initiative aiming to tackle the organised criminal groups who are facilitating the journeys of migrants by ships across the Mediterranean Sea to the European Union, has been launched today.

William Lacy Swing, Director General IOM, stresses that already in 2014 over 2,200 migrants have died attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. That’s three times 2013’s total!