Andorra Approves UN Protocol on Migrant Smuggling

Andorra's government has approved accession to the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, adopted on 15 November 2000 as a supplement to the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organised Crime.

This step follows Andorra's 2011 entry into the convention—ratified in 2025—and its 2022 ratification of the related protocol on human trafficking. The measure commits the country to criminalise a range of offences, such as forging, obtaining or fraudulently using travel or identity documents, and enabling irregular stays for financial gain. Officials described it as an important advance in tackling transnational organised crime, emphasising the need for international cooperation to address migrant smuggling, protect victims and enhance legal standards.

Government spokesperson Guillem Casal called migrant smuggling one of the most severe forms of cross-border crime, stressing that the obligations bind all member states. The move fits the executive's broader push to align Andorra's laws with global norms and includes participation in the Palermo Convention's review mechanisms for technical aid and information sharing.

The protocol now awaits approval by the Consell General. Once endorsed, it will take effect 30 days after deposit with the UN secretary-general. The government aims to collaborate with opposition parties on required legal changes.

Separately, Andorra plans to accede in 2026 to the Palermo protocol on illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, also pending parliamentary validation.