At the second conference of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, held in Brussels on 10 December 2025, delegations from EU Member States and partner countries, as well as international organisations, adopted a joint declaration reaffirming their common committment to strengthening international cooperation against migrant smuggling. The declaration is based on three pillars:

• Prevention;
• Response;
• Development of alternatives.

With regard to prevention, the delegations committed, inter alia, to supporting awareness-raising campaigns to counter the narratives of smugglers and to enhancing collaboration with transport operators, authorities, and stakeholders to counter the use of commercial transport for irregular migration, such as in air transport.

A series of measures were agreed upon to more effectively respond to migrant smuggling, e.g.:

• Strengthened operational cooperation along migratory routes at all levels;
• Intensified cooperation with digital platforms to curb smugglers' increased use of digital tools;
• Improved financial investigations to trace, seize, and confiscate smuggling proceeds and dismantle the economic infrastructure of smuggling networks;
• Combat corruption and fraud facilitating migrant smuggling;
• Stepping up efforts for capacity-building, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer cooperation.

Finally, the EU and its partners reaffirmed their committments to showing victims that there are safer alternatives to illegal migration. Support measures, such as better vocational education and training, will be implemented in both countries of origin and destination.

The Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling was launched in 2023 on the initiative of the European Union and has achieved significant results in disrupting smuggling operations and strengthening international cooperation. Main achievements since 2023 include:

• A €700 million investment for the prevention of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings;
• The establishement of a network of digital-investigation experts;
• A stronger Europol mandate with additional €50 million and 50 staff to boost action against smuggling and trafficking in human beings;
• Joint law enforcement projects with partner countries in Europe, Africa and Asia to dismantle trafficking networks.

In the future, another €128.9 million will be allocated for actions across the Western Balkans, Africa, Asia and Latin America by the end of 2026.