NOORDWIJK, Netherlands - A new report by INTERPOL on people smuggling indicates that the number of illegal immigrants in Western Europe increases by 300,000-450,000 a year. With smuggled asylum seekers included, the total may be just under half a million people.

The study, presented to delegates attending INTERPOL's 32nd European Regional Conference in the Netherlands, indicates that the involvement of organized crime in people smuggling is likely to rise, as will attempts by people smugglers to bribe or coerce government officials and employees of international organizations that deal with immigrants.

The report, most of which is to be kept confidential as an operational police document, calls for a coordinated European approach to the problem, including improvements to border controls and better sharing of intelligence and strategic assessments.

It also calls for increased use of informants and undercover police officers to infiltrate people smuggling operations, witness protection programmes for those who assist police, and more use of electronic surveillance.

'Understanding the magnitude of the problem can help authorities direct resources,' said Paul Silvester, one of the co-authors of the INTERPOL report. 'It can also help analysts to track trends over time and measure the effectiveness of programmes.'

Mr Silvester is a crime analyst seconded to INTERPOL's General Secretariat in Lyon, France, from the United Kingdom's National Criminal Intelligence Service. His co-author was William Lippert, an American crime analyst now working for INTERPOL in Lyon.
INTERPOL has a number of specialist officers and analysts working on the people smuggling problem. Analysis and data from INTERPOL are shared with police forces around the world.

'Individual nations can take some steps to address the problem, but it is a long-term challenge to authorities and policy makers across Europe,' the report said. 'This makes international police cooperation through INTERPOL essential to adequately address the crime.

'Without targeting people smuggling networks and their infrastructure, there can be no sustainable results.'

The report calls for stiffer sentencing for people smugglers, particularly where they put migrants at risk, and other measures that would make it more difficult and more expensive for them to do their work.