Migrant Smuggling Data and Research

In terms of lines of enquiry, the research tends to be destination
focused, in terms of European destinations along Mediterranean routes, with
little research along the chain. This is presumably because of the challenge in
conducting research in Libya post-2014, as well as the tendency to focus on
the Mediterranean post-2014 (as previously mentioned). It is likely to also be
linked to the availability of data at destination (because of arrival statistics that
are kept by European arrival countries) and the ease with which interviews can
be conducted with migrants at destination. The effect of this is that smuggling
routes and dynamics from North Africa are better documented than smuggling
routes to and within North Africa, which means the issue is not comprehensively
addressed.
Moreover, when research is specifically focused on North Africa, it tends
to focus on Libya. There is little research that has been conducted in recent
years on other countries in the region. While Libya is the main country in North
Africa when it comes to migration and smuggling and thus, does warrant the
focus of the bulk of the research in the region, the lack of research on smuggling
dynamics in other countries in the region and smuggling dynamics at transit
points does make it challenging to develop interventions to address smuggling
in other locations in the region.
In terms of lines of enquiry more specifically, research areas that have
been well addressed include the mapping of irregular migration and smuggling
routes throughout the region (see Malakooti, 2015a, 2015b and 2013a; Collyer
et al., 2016) and the profiles of the smugglers and dynamics of smuggling in
the region (Reitano, Adal and Shaw, 2014; Toaldo, 2015b; Naik et al., 2015 and
2016; Frouws, 2014; Malakooti, 2015a, 2015b, 2013a and 2013b). There has also
been some attempt to map the economics of smuggling; that is, the pricing of
smuggling routes in terms of what migrants are paying for smuggling services
(Malakooti, 2015a, 2015b, 2013a and 2013b) and the sizing of the smuggling
economy in terms of the revenues it generates (USIP, UNODC, GITNOC).
While these areas have been well addressed, what is lacking is ongoing
research and analysis. The region is quite dynamic, and the instability in Libya
causes much change in the trends. Research that supports trend analysis would
be beneficial to policymakers and programme managers, and also provide some
forecasting ability over time.
There is also little research on the individuals that sit at the top of smuggling
networks in the region. Most studies agree that these networks are headed by
individuals who are rarely seen, but none of them reveal much about them.
More research dedicated to smuggling specifically, and particularly from the
Migrant Smuggling Data and Research:
A global review of the emerging evidence base
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