Smugglers earned up to $509M on European routes in 2025

· Investigations · European Union

An OCCRP report estimates that smugglers collected up to $509 million on European routes in 2025. The figure quantifies the scale of the illicit migration and trafficking economy operating across the continent, where networks move people and goods through established corridors while evading border controls and law enforcement. The estimate provides an unusually concrete number for an activity that is normally described only in qualitative terms, and it comes as European governments continue to debate border enforcement and cooperation with transit countries. The report was published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

Why it matters：A hard number on smuggling revenue gives policymakers a benchmark for weighing border enforcement spending against the scale of the illicit economy.

Key points

  • The estimate covers smuggling activity on European routes during 2025.
  • The upper figure cited is $509 million.
  • The report was produced by OCCRP.

Sources (original reporting)

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