The European Union, in a statement delivered on 29 June 2026 at the 13th session of the UNTOC Working Group on the Smuggling of Migrants in Vienna, detailed its ongoing efforts to combat migrant smuggling, including a forthcoming sanctions regime targeting smugglers' assets and the presentation of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling's first work plan. The statement, delivered on behalf of the EU and its member states, also highlighted EU-funded cooperation with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to strengthen legal frameworks and investigative capacities in partner countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
The EU reiterated its commitment to the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, noting that it has supported UNODC in developing new Model Legislative Provisions and a Legislative Guide on migrant smuggling. Since the launch of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling in November 2023, the EU and its member states have engaged with partner countries and international organisations across three pillars: prevention, response, and development of alternatives. At the Alliance's second international conference in December 2025, a Joint Declaration was endorsed by 61 partners, reinforcing political commitment to a whole-of-route approach uniting countries of origin, transit, and destination. The EU extended an invitation for further endorsements.
The EU announced that the Global Alliance's first Work Plan 2026-2028 will be presented at the Senior Officials Meeting on 1 July 2026 in Vienna, providing a platform to discuss and advance priorities supporting the whole-of-route approach. The statement also emphasised the role of digital technologies and private sector partnerships in preventing and curbing migrant smuggling, and noted that the EU is developing a new regime to sanction migrant smugglers, including asset freezes and travel restrictions. Additionally, the EU is engaging with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to limit smugglers' exploitation of air routes, and continues to implement awareness-raising campaigns on the risks of irregular migration.