EXCERPT ACCORDING TO INTRODUCTION:

“The spread of conflict in a wide range of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in the Middle East and neighbouring countries, is producing an increase of mixed migration flows, which in turn affects the stability of the overall Mediterranean region. Often defined as one of the major causes of the growing trend of irregular migration, smuggling of migrants is increasingly singled out by international institutions and states as one of the main problems and a key policy priority for the whole region. This paper adopts a transnational and macro-regional approach to reconstructing recent developments in migrant smuggling involving Mediterranean MENA countries, with particular regard to cross-Mediterranean smuggling circuits. It explores the main dynamics of routes through and into the area, mainly originating in the Middle East or in West and East African countries. The paper provides an insight into the transnational mechanisms and key trends of this activity, taking into account the broader geo-political scenario, and with a specific focus on the Central and Eastern Mediterranean routes, highlighting the prevalent confinement of the flows in the region and the increasingly blurring lines between smuggling and trafficking practices.”