Aggravated Migrant Smuggling in a Transit Migration Context, Criminal Victimization under ECtHR Positive Obligations Case Law

Year 2022, Issue: 71, 413 - 480, 31.12.2022

Roxane De Massol De Rebetz , Pınar Ölçer

https://doi.org/10.26650/annales.2022.71.0009

Abstract

The legal dichotomy established between migrant smuggling and human trafficking has often been criticized, including from the perspective of associated distinctions arising in human rights protection. This contribution focuses on the specific profile of transiting smuggled migrants in the Intra-Schengen mobility context. Building on empirical research conducted by the first author on the Belgian legal framework and its functioning in practice, it is argued that differentiated protection can be crafted for this profile within criminal justice related positive obligations ensuing from the ECHR in a manner similar to that which has been developed by the ECtHR for trafficking victims. As other (inter)national law sources do not drive towards protective duties in this sense for migrant smuggling, the ECtHR cannot feed from them in the manner it has done in the trafficking context. It is argued that the Court however can legitimately find an alternate basis in empirical evidence pointing to similar human rights needs, meaning that the ECtHR can craft protection through evidence-based decision-making, including through the deployment of (particular) vulnerability paradigms.

Keywords

ECHR, Criminal Justice Related Positive Obligations, Migrant Smuggling, Migrants in Transit, Human trafficking, Evidence- based Adjudication, Vulnerability

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• Khlaifia and Others. v. Italy [GC] 16483/12 (ECtHR, 15 December 2016).
• J. and Others v. Austria 58216/12 (ECtHR, 17 January 2017). Chowdury and Others v. Greece 21884/15 (ECtHR, 30 March 2017). Correia de Matos v. Portugal 56402/12 (ECtHR, 4 April 2018).
• Hoti v. Croatia 63311/14 (ECtHR, 26 July 2018).
• Z.A. and Others v. Russia [GC] 61411/15; 61420/15 and 61427/15 (ECtHR, 21 November 2019).
• Ilias and Ahmed v. Hungary [GC] 47287/15 (ECtHR, 21 November 2019)
• N.D. and N.T. v. Spain [GC] 8675/15 and 8697/15 (ECtHR, 13 February 2020).
• S.M. v. Croatia [GC] 60561/14 (ECtHR, 25 June 2020).
• V.C. L and A.N. v. United Kingdom 77587/12 and 74603/12 (ECtHR, 5 July 2021).
• M.A. v. Denmark 6697/1 (ECtHR, 9 July 2021).
• Zoletic and Others v. Azerbaijan, 20116/12 (ECtHR, 7 October 2021).
• M.H. and Others v. Croatia 15670/18 and 43115/18 (ECtHR, 18 November 2021).