Brussels.- At a high-level convention convened by the European Fee, Dominican Inside and Police Minister Faride Raful warned that felony networks driving migrant smuggling are increasing quickly and require pressing worldwide cooperation to dismantle. Talking earlier than delegates from greater than 60 international locations, Raful harassed that the battle should prioritize sufferer safety and monetary disruption of those transnational operations.

Raful highlighted latest steps taken by the Dominican Republic, together with the launch of 865 rapid-response migration brokers throughout all provinces and intensified investigations into trafficking rings. Based on official figures, the nation initiated over 200 investigations in 2024, prosecuted 275 people, secured 228 years in mixed sentences, and rescued 137 victims. “These are not isolated crimes; they are billion-dollar criminal chains,” Raful stated, noting that smuggling networks generate an estimated $10 billion yearly.

On the sidelines of the occasion, Raful met with European officers to debate joint methods on border safety and felony investigations. Whereas Dominican authorities body these measures as proof of management within the area, consultants warning that the dimensions of worldwide smuggling —and its monetary muscle— calls for excess of nationwide reforms, underscoring the necessity for sustained, collective enforcement.