The Group of Seven (G7) will establish specialized police units to investigate human trafficking, Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced on October 4.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to address the growing issue of illegal immigration.
Piantedosi shared details of the plan at the conclusion of a three-day meeting of G7 interior ministers, which also centred on the security threats stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
“The action plan aims to strengthen the investigative and operational capacities of law enforcement agencies, including the launch of joint operations,” Piantedosi told. “We unanimously agreed that dismantling the trafficking networks must be a top priority.”
Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government, currently holds the rotating G7 presidency for 2024 and has advocated for stronger cooperation between the European Union and African nations to crack down on migrant traffickers.
The new G7 action plan emphasizes the need for closer collaboration between G7 nations and countries involved in the origin and transit of illegal immigration flows.
Human trafficking is a global crisis, with an estimated 27.6 million people currently living in conditions of forced labour or sexual exploitation worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Of those trafficked, approximately 71 per cent are female, and one in four are children. Many traffickers exploit migration routes.
Efforts to curb human trafficking have intensified across Europe, particularly as immigration flows increase due to geopolitical instability.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 79 per cent of trafficking victims are trafficked across borders, making international cooperation critical.
In 2023, Italy saw a surge in immigrants arriving via dangerous sea crossings from North Africa, with over 140,000 people, a significant increase from previous years.
In response, last year Meloni signed a deal with Albania to establish migrant reception centres aimed at deterring migrants on the journey to Europe.
Piantedosi confirmed that these camps will become operational in the coming weeks and said the Italian initiative in Albania was a major point of discussion at the G7 meeting.
The Flemish members of the Patriots for Europe group have launched what they call a “superdiversity” tracker online aimed at documenting the progress of “mass migration.” https://t.co/NKG3WaEKlA
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 1, 2024
