Survive and advance: The economics of smuggling refugees and migrants into Europe

The document argues that violent conflicts, poverty, and repressive regimes have fueled an unprecedented flow of migrants to Europe, which is facilitated by a violent and opportunistic smuggling industry. This industry has generated sustainable profits, leading to the creation of transnational networks that threaten human security and state stability. The authors assert that effective policy responses require a nuanced understanding of how migration journeys are shaped by the migrants' ethnicity, income, and origin, as well as the adaptability of the smuggling networks.

• The movement of refugees and migrants to Europe is driven by a combination of violent conflicts, terrorism, chronic poverty, inequality, and long-standing repressive regimes.
• The smuggling industry facilitating these journeys is characterized as violent and opportunistic, and its sustainable profits have enabled the development of transnational networks that impact state stability and human security.
• Effective responses to the crisis depend on a nuanced understanding of the specific drivers of migration, including the migrants' country of origin, income level, and ethnicity, alongside the responsiveness of the smuggling industry.

APA

Reitano, T., & Tinti, P. (n.d.). Survive and advance: The economics of smuggling refugees and migrants into Europe. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/survive-and-advance-the-economics-of-smuggling-refugees-and-migrants-into-europe

Chicago

Reitano, Tuesday, and Peter Tinti. Survive and advance: The economics of smuggling refugees and migrants into Europe. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/survive-and-advance-the-economics-of-smuggling-refugees-and-migrants-into-europe.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reitano |first1=Tuesday |last2=Tinti |first2=Peter |title=Survive and advance: The economics of smuggling refugees and migrants into Europe |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/papers/survive-and-advance-the-economics-of-smuggling-refugees-and-migrants-into-europe |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reitanondsurvive, author = {Reitano, Tuesday and Tinti, Peter}, title = {{Survive and advance: The economics of smuggling refugees and migrants into Europe}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/papers/survive-and-advance-the-economics-of-smuggling-refugees-and-migrants-into-europe}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }