The Chief of the Cyprus Police, Themistos Arnaoutis, said on Tuesday that he expects further strengthening of operational cooperation among EU member states in tackling irregular migration.
Arnaoutis was speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of Europol in Hague, during a meeting of the organisation’s Management Board on March 24–25, which marked the official launch of the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling (ECAMS).
According to an official statement, the police chief’s presence, following an invitation by Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle, stressed the active role of the Cyprus Police in European efforts to address irregular migration, a phenomenon with significant implications for security and stability across Europe.
In his intervention, Arnaoutis welcomed the establishment of the new centre, pointing out that it would contribute to closer operational cooperation among member states, facilitate the timely exchange of information and improve the coordination of actions against organised criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling.
The ECAMS is a new specialised operational hub within Europol, tasked with supporting member states in preventing and combating migrant smuggling through enhanced intelligence analysis, operational coordination and cross-border cooperation, as part of the EU’s broader strategy to dismantle smuggling networks often linked to other forms of serious and organised crime.
The statement added that Arnaoutis’s participation in the conference underscores the Cyprus Police’s ongoing commitment to active involvement in European law enforcement cooperation and in addressing modern security challenges.
