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Civil society organisations are key stakeholders in combatting trafficking in human beings. The European Commission has launched a Call for Expression of Interest in view of renewing the composition of the “EU Civil Society Platform against trafficking in human beings”.

Commissioner Magnus Brunner attended the informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Warsaw, organised by the Polish Presidency of the Council. The meeting focused on innovative solutions in migration management and  addressed the current challenges and threats to EU internal security.

In its effort to expand legal migration pathways and channel foreign workers towards occupations experiencing skill shortages, the Commission has developed an interactive tool mapping some 290 pathways across the EU to help non-EU nationals find the destination best suited to their skillset.

In a series of bilateral meetings, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, visited Poland, Greece, Cyprus, and France to discuss key priorities for the year ahead in migration, internal security, and border management, strengthening cooperation with EU Member States.

Frontex has released new preliminary data showing a significant decrease in irregular border crossings into the EU in 2024, with a 38% drop compared to the previous year, bringing the total number of detections to the lowest level since 2021, when migration was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Commission published its fifth report on the progress made in the EU in combatting Trafficking in Human Beings. The report outlines the main anti-trafficking actions from 2021 to 2024 and provides an analysis of statistics for the period of 2021-2022.

On 1 January, Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the Schengen Area after the checks on persons at the internal land borders were lifted. Welcoming both member states into the Schengen area will boost travel, trade and tourism and contribute to strengthening the internal market.

European and international law enforcement authorities in October 2024 have targeted multiple criminal networks in the areas of trafficking in human beings, migrant smuggling, drug and illegal firearms trafficking, and the high-risk criminal networks. The operation has been organised by EMPACT.

On International Migrants Day, the Commission and High Representative have issued a joint statement reaffirming the EU's commitment to addressing migration in a comprehensive, humane, and sustainable manner, and call for enhanced international cooperation to address migration's global dimension.