Restricted access to regular migration pathways continues to fuel demand for irregular movement, enabling migrant smuggling to thrive. In the absence of safe and legal alternatives, smugglers step in to meet the persistent  need for mobility driven by conflict, persecution, economic instability, labour demand, and family ties. While governments seek to “break the business model” of smugglers through enforcement and border control, these measures have largely pushed people towards more dangerous routes and strengthened smuggling networks.    This report brings