E004/2025/EXB Trafficking in human beings, migrant smuggling

Trafficking in human beings, migrant smuggling

The aim of this training is to inform law enforcement officials about how the CEPOL Exchange Programme 2025 helped exchangees to gain new knowledge regarding police/border guard work in the hosting countries (Poland, Cyprus, Spain, and Romania) in the area of organised and serious crime, specifically in migrant smuggling, THB and document fraud.

By the end of this Exchange-bite, the audience will be able to:

Related to Poland:

• Get an overview of the structure of the Polish Border Guard with emphasis on the investigative units;
• Understand how the analysis is carried out by the analysts of the Polish Border guard provided by the investigative units;
• Understand how the investigative units cooperate with the analysts and working side by side by sharing data and analytics in order to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the case;
• Understand how the labs examine the evidence provided to them by the investigative units and how the labs of the Polish Border guard cooperate with the labs of the National Police and complement each other;
• Understand how the specialised tactical teams work and how they cooperate with the investigative units;
• Get an overview of the shooting training offered to the officers by the Polish Border guard and Polish National Police;
• Understand the process of hosting a migrant in the guarded detention centers and the facilities they have during their detention (including the medical services);

Related to Cyprus:

• Get an overview of the structure of the Police Aliens and Immigration Unit with emphasis on border checks and document fraud;
• Understand the process of border checks carried out by officers, their available data bases, BorderXpress kiosks, equipment;
• Learn about the modus operandi of forged documents;
• Learn about the programs for the Cyprus Police at Cyprus Police Academy;
• Understand check-in process in Port&Marine Police (Limassol Marina), get an overview of the structure and duties of port (radar system, available data bases, electronic platforms);
• Understand Limassol Divisional Aliens and Immigration Unit, theirs tasks which conduct to combat illegal immigration and employment, examining the marriage authenticity, repatriation, operation/retours of illegal migrants, registration of foreigners, receiving of asylum;
• Understand organisation of “Pournara” First Reception Center, theirs procedures (registration, screening, debriefing, fingerprinting, photo-capturing, medical examinations).

Related to Spain:

• Get an overview of the judicial & police model in Spain;
• Understand how Spanish National Police investigates THB cases;
• Learn about the modus operandi in Spain related to irregular migration and social services frauds committed by foreign nationals;
• Learn about the victim protection system in Spain;

Related to Romania:

• Get an overview of the judicial & police model in Romania;
• Understand the Romanian anti-trafficking architecture and the efforts invested by the authorities to prevent & combat THB in the region;
• Learn about new the modus operandi in Romania related non-EU foreign nationals that are THB victims;
• Understand the challenges that the Romanian authorities face in the new regional security context and the access of non-EU citizens to the labor market.

EMPACT training activity

Combatting new forms of organised crime requires more cooperation between police and gendarmes, customs officers, border guards, judges, and prosecutors. EU institutions, agencies and Member States work together to tackle organised and serious international crime through a permanent and key instrument: the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

CEPOL plays a crucial role in the EMPACT mechanism through the provision of specialised training and the identification of training needs within each common security threat. Every year, CEPOL provides a comprehensive training package for each common EU crime priority consisting of onsite, online and exchange training activities.

Target audience

European law enforcement officials specialised in fighting serious and organised crime, especially in combatting smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings (THB) and document fraud.