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Index/Topics/Migrant Smuggling Protocol

Migrant Smuggling Protocol

The Migrant Smuggling Protocol is related to the treatment of stateless vessels and the rights of states to take enforcement actions.

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Jan 6, 2026

How have EU and U.S. anti-smuggling operations influenced customary international law on seizing stateless ships?

EU naval campaigns in the Mediterranean and repeated U.S. interdictions of unregistered vessels have pushed the practical boundaries of when states may board, seize, and even destroy stateless smuggli...

Jan 6, 2026

What legal standards define a stateless vessel and when may any State seize it on the high seas?

International law treats a vessel that lacks a genuine national registration as "without nationality" or stateless, permitting other States a limited right to board and inspect on the high seas; that ...