Presentation of the 2021 report on migrant smuggling and trafficking

In 2021, 41,612 irregular migrants were apprehended in the Austrian federal territory, an increase of 92 percent compared to the previous year (2020: 21,641). Police forces were able to apprehend 441 migrant smugglers in the same period, marking the highest figure in the past five years (2020: 311). Changes can be seen in the nationalities of those apprehended compared to 2020: The countries with the highest increases in absolute numbers included Syria (12,276), Afghanistan (6,239), Pakistan (1,351) and Morocco (1,791).

In 2021, police were also able to identify 38 suspects for human trafficking and 31 suspects for cross-border trafficking in the context of forced prostitution. 75 victims of human trafficking and 44 victims of cross-border trafficking in the context of forced prostitution were freed.

As of December 2021, a department specialised in combating smuggling and trafficking in human beings was created in the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service, which pools all competencies in one place. The department is staffed with 50 experts. In this context, international cooperation, especially in the Western Balkans, is of utmost importance.