“It’s like a ruthless travel agency. They work in networks, and they can ally among themselves. And even if we close the route from Libya, they will probably work from Tunisia or Algeria or again from Turkey. They are flexible and they change,” said Di Nicola.
As migrants continue to die trying to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa, Europe says it wants to stem the flow by targeting the people smugglers. Experts, however, say such action would be difficult because of the vast web of organized crime that controls the trafficking.
Silhouetted against the Mediterranean sunrise, smugglers herd dozens of migrants from across Africa and the Middle East onto inflatable boats on a deserted North African beach. Offshore, they are loaded like cargo onto a larger vessel which they hope – will take them to Europe.
In recent years, tens of thousands of migrants have died through drowning, starvation and dehydration. The boat journey is just one stage of a vast network of people trafficking that starts in the country of origin.
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