Metsola in talks with Europol director on irregular migration

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola held talks with EUROPOL Director Rob Wainwright on how best the European Union can tackle the organised crime networks profiting from irregular migration.

Following a series of meetings with top ranking EUROPOL representatives at the agency's headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, Metsola praised the solid work being done by EUROPOL on migration.

"Malta's systems remain under significant pressure and criminal networks who profit from this human tragedy must be stopped," Metsola told Wainwright. "It is particularly important that EUROPOL and Member States' law enforcement and intelligence authorities tackle those groups operating out of Libya."

Immigration, she said, is a multi-faceted phenomenon that must be tackled on a number of different fronts. The European Union must do more to address the root causes of immigration and Member States must step up and shoulder their responsibilities for what is essentially a European issue, she insisted.

"But at the same time we must also work to stop these abhorrent criminal gangs who facilitate illegal immigration. EUROPOL's capabilities and the support they offer Member States are crucial in this respect."

 Metsola said criminal networks were profiting by exploiting some the world's most vulnerable people, often taking what little money they have before placing them in rickety boats waiting for the Maltese authorities to rescue them. "This is exploitation at its worst and we must ensure that the European Union remains one step ahead of these criminal networks and that the legislative frameworks are in place to ensure that crime never pays," she added.

Metsola was also briefed on the EU's fight against cybercrime and human trafficking before touring EUROPOL's newly established European Cybercrime Centre. The Centre is expected to be the focal point in the EU's fight against cybercrime, contributing to faster reactions in the event of online crimes. It supports Member States and the European Union's institutions in building capacity for investigations and cooperation with international partners.

Pledging her cooperation from within the European Parliament, Metsola said that credit-card fraud, child abuse images online and identity theft in particular were all issues that required constant cooperation between EUROPOL, Internet Service Providers, industry and national law enforcement agencies.