Efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic have seen unprecedented restrictions on movement being imposed in many countries, both at borders and within countries. Some communities and policymakers have adopted increasingly hostile attitudes towards migrants, whom they perceive as contagion risks...

This briefing paper focuses on the evolving role of smugglers in West Africa’s migration economy, as well as migration and smuggling patterns in West Africa and between West and North Africa. The Mixed Migration Monitoring Mechanism Initiative (4Mi) carried out a total of 153 interviews with...

The Toolkit to Combat Smuggling of Migrants provides guidance, showcases promising practices, and recommends resources to assist policy makers, law enforcers, judges, prosecutors, and members of civil society in their efforts to prevent migrant smuggling, protect smuggled migrants and their rights...

The first UNODC Global Study on Smuggling of Migrants shows that migrant smuggling routes affect every part of the world. The study is based on an extensive review of existing data and literature. It presents detailed information about key smuggling routes, such as the magnitude, the profiles of...

The VRS-MSRC is an Internet-based secure IT solution to collect, share and analyse information on migrant smuggling, irregular migration and other related conducts to inform evidence-based policy formulation at national and regional levels.

UNODC’s University Module Series containing 14 modules on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants provides academics with a practically oriented, though still theoretically grounded, tool to teach on these issues. Given the considerable safety risks posed by trafficking in persons and...

The Migration Data Portal provides a page dedicated to the topic of smuggling of migrants, including its definitions, recent trends, data sources, data strengths and limitations and suggestions for further reading.

The Smuggling of Migrants Knowledge Portal is an initiative to facilitate the dissemination of information regarding the implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and specifically the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. This portal aims to...

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing issues in contemporary international...

The site contains information about the development of the Global Compact for Migration. Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration...

This document presents the results of a pilot study on the effect of the GMFF on social cohesion by looking at how films and public film screenings can impact perceptions and attitudes towards migrants. The study found that participation in social mixing events, such as GMFF film screenings...

This study proposes the Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) Integration Index as a pragmatic and multidimensional measure of immigrant integration. The IPL Integration Index serves as a tool to measure six dimensions of integration that can be used by countries across different immigrant groups, in order...

Reception and placement options in the immigration context for children and families should be non-custodial and with appropriate case management support. They should respect the principle of minimum intervention and fulfil the best interests of the child, along with his/her rights to liberty and...

This issue explores the multi-dimensional risks of social exclusion caused by inequities faced by different migrant groups in the COVID-19 response. While measures to combat the virus apply to all, not all migrant groups have the same set of resources and capacities to comply with the rules. As such...

These Guidelines are intended to provide guidance to governments, parliamentarians, legal practitioners, decision-makers, including the judiciary, as well as other international and national bodies working on detention and asylum matters, including non-governmental organisations, national human...

The IOM Information Note aims to provide guidance on the international law and standards applicable in cases of detention of migrants and the obligation to provide non-custodial measures. The Information note aims to acquaint the reader with international instruments that set the standards to be...

The guide explains how IOM understands alternatives to detention, describes the various elements of alternatives to detention used in IOM projects, and, through a flowchart, visually depicts how the various elements of alternatives to detention can be used together to create a coherent and...

This serves as an issue brief on how to tackle potentially xenophobia and stigma. It proposes potential solutions for states and relevant actors to tackle potential xenophobia and stigma, ranging from measures aimed at strengthening legal and policy responses to xenophobia and racism, to community...

The Portal aims to serve as a unique access point to timely, comprehensive migration statistics and reliable information about migration data globally.