Criminalisation

Criminal law and other approaches based on sanctions are often used to punish migrants and those who provide them with assistance, and to address phenomena like smuggling, trafficking, and sex work.

This leads to more, not less, harm and suffering. We call for systems that support people instead.

more work areas

Anti-Poverty and Housing Children, Families and Youth Detention and Deportations Digital Technologies Gender Equality Health Justice and Policing Regularisation Work

Interactive Storyboard

The EU is collecting millions of data of third country nationals in large-scale database that are being connected to step up deportations. Check our interactive storyboard to learn what this means for people in real life.

Discover the experience

Related publications

Read our publications to learn about how migration policies shape our societies and the lives of undocumented people, and how they can be improved.

2024

EU Migration Policies

PICUM Analysis: How will the new Schengen Borders Code affect undocumented migrants?

2024

Criminalisation

How the new EU Facilitation Directive furthers the criminalisation of migrants and human rights defenders

2024

Criminalisation

Between administrative and criminal law: An overview of criminalisation of migration across the EU

2024

Criminalisation

Cases of criminalisation of migration and solidarity in the EU in 2023

2024

Criminalisation

PICUM’s inputs to the European Commission consultation on the Facilitation Directive

See all publications

Related blogs

Read our blogs to learn about laws, policies and issues that affect undocumented people.

See all blogs

07.04.25 Migrant smuggling: European Parliament to start debating new rules Read more

06.03.25 Migrant smuggling: European Parliament’s study asks Commission to withdraw new proposal over human rights risks 17.01.25 Reporting obligations and ‘firewalls’ 12.12.24 Migrant smuggling: EU Council set to vote on text threatening people helping migrants

See our youtube channel