The Legal Regime Applicable to Migrant Smuggling

Abstract

The number or migrants that are smuggled to coastal states is increasing last years with emergence of new trends such as usage of large crewless cargo vessels for transportation of people. This thesis analyses whether it is possible to deal with the increasing number of migrant smuggling cases by sea within the existing framework of the law of the sea. After examination of provisions of the Law of the Sea Convention and other international instruments, the current situation in Italy concerning smuggling of migrants by sea will be discussed. The aim of thesis is to discuss the possibilities how to deal with migrant smuggling by sea within current legal framework of law of the sea.