Partners NewsCEPOL course on migrant smuggling and digital investigations held in Ioannina
The Center for Security Studies (KEMEA)
successfully organised the CEPOL onsite training activity titled “Migrant Smuggling – Digital Investigations” from 2-6 June, 2025, in Ioannina, Greece.
The course aimed to enhance participants’ skills in addressing migrant smuggling through the effective use of digital evidence and open-source intelligence (OSINT). It included a combination of tutor-led presentations, collaborative exercises, and structured discussions. Key topics covered in the course included EU policy and strategy, cross-border coordination, the use of digital platforms in investigations, and the ethical and legal frameworks surrounding OSINT.
The programme brought together 26 participants from EU Member States and Europol. Some of its most engaging elements were a simulated case investigation, a legal challenges dialogue, and a practical assessment where participants created structured case reports. These activities provided hands-on techniques and encouraged critical thinking about the evolving investigative challenges in the digital space.
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Meanwhile, the workshop discussions resulted in a document outlining the challenges law enforcement officers encounter during digital investigations related to migrant smuggling. This document can provide valuable input for CEPOL and the European Commission in their future training initiatives and policy development efforts.
The training was delivered by trainers and subject-matter experts from the European Commission, Europol, Frontex and KEMEA.
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About KEMEA
The Center for Security Studies (Kentro Meleton Asfaleias – KEMEA), founded in 2005, is a scientific, consulting and research organization overseen by the Minister of Citizen Protection, governed by common law, and annually audited by chartered accountants. Its principal purpose is to conduct theoretical and applied research and studies, particularly at the strategic level, on security topics and policies, while being the think-tank of the Ministry of Citizen Protection on numerous policies such as public order, correctional services, terrorism prevention, crime prevention, integrated border management and civil protection as well as on various other security and societal issues; it also provides advisory and consulting risk-management services to an array of public and private organizations. KEMEA is a Framework Partner of CEPOL since 2016.
EMPACT training activity
Combating new forms of organised crime requires more cooperation between police and gendarmes, customs officers, border guards, judges, and prosecutors. EU institutions, agencies and Member States work together to tackle organised and serious international crime through a permanent and key instrument: the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).
CEPOL plays a crucial role in the EMPACT mechanism through the provision of specialised training and the identification of training needs within each common security threat. Every year, CEPOL provides a comprehensive training package for each common EU crime priority consisting of onsite, online and exchange training activities.
Check more of CEPOL's EMPACT training activities here.
