Some refuge seekers have smuggled themselves into countries by paying gangsters to arrange illegal entry. The action program emphasizes a crackdown on such criminal groups. The gangs that ship refugees are also often involved in trafficking drugs, as well as people. Expanding and strengthening the investigative network for such crimes is urgently needed.
If the action program fails to yield the intended results, public disappointment could spark a renewal of anti-immigrant sentiment. The EU and member nations must implement the action plan's measures.
In so doing, European nations would be true to their humanitarian tradition by working to ensure that people who need international protection will not be denied.
