The European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, has called this Thursday on the European Parliament to reactivate the processing of the directive against human trafficking, blocked for almost three years, understanding that the recent migration crisis in Ceuta has highlighted the urgency of strengthening the European Union's response to criminal networks.
During his speech before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament, the Austrian official has placed the approval of this directive among the five priorities that, in his view, must be drawn from what happened in the autonomous city.
In his speech, the commissioner insisted on the need to intensify the fight against the mafias that organize irregular immigration and urged Parliament to set its position on the legislative proposal presented by the Commission in 2023 "as soon as possible."
"We cannot accept a violation of the integrity of our external borders nor a threat to the security of the Union. The impact of criminal networks trafficking migrants on our security is simply unacceptable," he emphasized.
Brunner also defended tightening collaboration with digital platforms to prevent traffickers from using social networks to disseminate information intended to promote or coordinate irregular migration movements.
The commissioner has framed these initiatives within Brussels' strategy to draw "the right lessons" from the Ceuta crisis, which also includes strengthening external borders, more intense cooperation with countries of origin and transit, the implementation of early warning systems, and the streamlining of returns of people in irregular situations.