Algiers, Algeria – 16 April 2025 – Over 150 law enforcement officials, migration practitioners, academics, and legal experts from across the Arab region convened in Algiers, Algeria, from 14 to 16 April 2025 for a high-level Scientific Forum on Investigation and Surveillance Methods for the Smuggling of Migrants and Human Trafficking.

The forum, jointly organized by the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Ministry of Interior, Local Authorities and Urban Planning, the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), provided an innovative platform for the exchange of experiences, strategies, and best practices in combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking, particularly regarding detection, disruption, and prosecution of organized criminal networks operating along important migration corridors.

“The Algerian public authorities, in line with the directives of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, have ensured the establishment of an updated and comprehensive legal framework that aligns with international standards for combating these transnational crimes. This framework is based on strict legislation that enables security services and judicial authorities to effectively combat smuggling and trafficking networks, while safeguarding individuals’ rights and dignity,” said Mr. Ibrahim Merad, the Algerian Minister of Interior, Local Authorities, and Urban Development.

“The law enacted in 2023 clearly outlines procedures for identifying trafficking in persons and punishing perpetrators of such crimes. It also establishes a National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which is tasked with raising awareness, strengthening training, and providing support to victims,” he added.

The three-day event featured expert-led thematic sessions on advanced investigative and surveillance techniques, including the use of digital tools and financial forensics to trace and dismantle smuggling and trafficking networks. Legal and ethical considerations surrounding covert investigations were explored in depth, with a strong emphasis on upholding the human rights of migrants and victims of trafficking.

With migration dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region becoming increasingly complex, with transnational threats extending beyond national borders, the need for coordinated regional responses has never been more pressing. Forum highlighted that Arab solidarity, coupled with a whole-of-society approach, is key to fostering rights-based responses to trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. Concrete examples from more than 15 different speakers from different backgrounds, structures and countries demonstrated inclusive migration governance models, involving local communities and cultural mediators to protect vulnerable people on the move.

“Irregular migration and migrant smuggling are among the most serious issues facing our contemporary world. Their severity continues to grow with the increase in disasters and humanitarian crises, compounded by the devastating impacts of armed conflicts and economic hardships — making them a significant threat to the security and stability of states,” said Dr. Abdulmajid bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, President of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS).

Since the signing of their first Memorandum of Understanding in 2009, IOM and NAUSS— the academic body of the Arab Interior Ministers Council (AIMC)—have built a strong partnership focused on capacity development in the Arab region. This collaboration led to the establishment of the Arab Centre for Technical Cooperation on Migration and Border Management (ACTC-MBM) in 2022, based on the NAUSS campus in Riyadh. The Centre provides technical, legal, operational, and policy support to key stakeholders of the 22 Arab League countries working in migration and border governance.

The Algiers forum reinforced the importance of ongoing information exchange on trafficking trends, examined the use of digital platforms in smuggling operations, and encouraged efforts to enhance the identification and protection of trafficking victims. It also sought to strengthen international cooperation and information-sharing among security agencies, in line with Objective 9 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM): to prevent migrant smuggling, protect smuggled migrants, and end the impunity of smuggling networks.

“As smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons networks evolve, so must our response,” said Mr. Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for the MENA region. “Protecting migrants and addressing irregular migration requires a comprehensive approach, from prevention and prosecution to protection and reintegration. This forum helps ensure that all dimensions of migration management are addressed in a coordinated and human-centered manner,” he added.

Across the region, IOM continues to work closely with partners to support integrated border governance. Through a range of programmes, IOM contributes to enhance migration policies, legal frameworks, technical infrastructure, as well as human resources and capacities to address migration challenges and harness the benefits of safe and orderly migration for migrants and societies.

These efforts have generated practical recommendations to address common regional priorities, including preventing trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, identifying and supporting victims, and advancing initiatives such as information sharing, awareness-raising, data collection, research, and capacity building.

This initiative reflects the shared commitment of regional actors to adopt evidence-based, rights-centered approaches to managing irregular migration and combating migrants smuggling and trafficking in persons. It also underscores the importance of sustained regional coordination to ensure safer, more dignified migration pathways. The forum was held with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.