A joint report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed that revenues from migrant smuggling networks via sea routes to Europe reached approximately $500 million in 2025, amid smugglers exploiting migrants and exposing them to serious risks.
The report, according to the United Nations News Centre, explained that the cost of the journey varies depending on the route and the type of boat. About half of the migrants who attempted to reach Italy or Malta from North Africa or Turkey paid more than $7,500 per person. In contrast, the cost could drop to $170 via the Northwest Africa route towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The report indicated that between 190,000 and 209,000 people were smuggled via the four main sea routes leading to Europe in 2025. The Central Mediterranean route led, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean route, then the Northwest Africa route across the Atlantic Ocean, and finally the Western Mediterranean route.
According to the report, 3,404 people lost their lives or were reported missing during sea crossing journeys in 2025, while authorities intercepted and returned 104,200 people.
The UNODC highlighted that smuggling is not the only means migrants resort to for irregular entry, estimating that most crossings via the main sea routes relied on smugglers, with percentages ranging between 57 and 90 percent depending on the route.
Migrant smuggling has turned into a criminal activity generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually, exploiting migrants' need for safety and exposing them to extortion, kidnapping, and ill-treatment, without guarantees of safe arrival.
The United Nations consistently calls for the necessity of strengthening international judicial and security cooperation to pursue and dismantle migrant smuggling networks.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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