Trends in Organized Crime, Smuggling, and International Security.
I'm delighted to launch my latest report for the Institute for Security Studies: ‘La mal vie’: The routes, drivers and politics of North African irregular migration.
The report details the routes and methods employed by North African irregular migrants to get to Europe, the factors driving and enabling increased migration, and the responses by North African and European governments. It ends with a short set of policy recommendations.
It can be accessed here.
I'm delighted to launch my latest Policy Brief for the Institute for Security Studies: “Less than the sum of its parts: Europe’s fixation with Libyan border security."
The brief argues that European focus on counter migration programming in Libya puts at risk efforts to create an effective and accountable security sector capable of addressing the needs of Libyans. It ends with a short set of recommendations.
The brief can be accessed here.
The last year has seen a significant decline in irregular migrant departures from Libya and a steep rise in departures from Tunisia. This article disabuses the persistent claim there's a link between the two phenomenon, explains why, and argues that Tunisia needs an open policy debate on how to handle transit migration. Published by ISS Today, it can be accessed here.
Between 01 January 2017 and 25 July 2018, Algerian and Tunisian authorities intercepted 12,727 irregular migrants. Nearly all of those caught in either country were nationals of that country. The graph below breaks this down on a month-by-month basis, underscoring the significant seasonal variation in departures. It also highlights how atypical this spring's irregular migrant surge was in Tunisia.
