The UK-GERMANY COOPERATION IN OVERCOMING PROBLEMS MIGRANT SMUGGLING, 2020—2024

Abstract

Migrant smuggling is an illegal practice that involves the unlawful transfer of individuals across international borders in exchange for certain financial or material rewards. Germany's strategic location as a transit country makes it the main route in the process of smuggling migrants to the UK. In response to these problems, Britain established various efforts in the form of cooperation with Germany. Therefore, this study aims to describe the problem of migrant smuggling and analyze the form of cooperation carried out by the United Kingdom and Germany. This research uses the concept of international cooperation and the concept of transnational organized crime. This study uses a qualitative methodology with secondary data collection techniques. Data comes from vice sites, think tanks, media reports, and related scientific articles. The results of the study show that British-German cooperation in overcoming migrant smuggling is through seven forms of cooperation, including extradition, mutual legal assistance, joint operations, information exchange, tracking and confiscation of assets, and human rights protection for victims of migrant smuggling. However, this cooperation has not been completely completed because cases of migrant smuggling in the UK through German transit increased significantly from 2020 to 2024. This is due to conflicts, economic disparities, involvement in cross-border criminal networks, corrupt practices, as well as limitations and negligence at the level of operational coordination of cooperation between the two countries.