Migrant smuggling is a global issue. Every year, millions of migrants seek to escape regional conflict, political instability, persecution and poverty in search of a better future. They can risk their lives at the hands of migrant smugglers who see them as an opportunity to make financial gains and often have little regard for the migrants’ safety. The proceeds generated by migrant smuggling are estimated to exceed USD10 billion per year.

The FATF analysed the money laundering and terrorist financing risks associated with migrant smuggling. While there has been an increase in migrant smuggling, many countries do not consider it a high-risk crime for money laundering and the associated financial flows are rarely investigated.   In July 2022, the FATF organised a webinar to raise further awareness of the way criminal organisations try to make a profit out of smuggling migrants.

Ethnically or racially motivated terrorism, also referred to as extreme right-wing terrorism, has increased in recent years, highlighting the need to raise awareness about this complex phenomenon and its financing.  The FATF's research focuses on the funding behind this form of terrorism.  

Environmental crime is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises, generating around USD 110 to 281 billion in criminal gains each year.  It covers a wide range of unlawful activities such as illegal logging, illegal wildlife trade and waste trafficking.

These activities can have far-reaching implications for the environment, economy, public health and safety. The FATF is focussing on the link between environmental crime and money laundering.  This work aims to raise awareness about the financial flows that fuel environmental crime and how they are laundered.

The FATF's work on environmental crime builds on earlier work by the FATF on how countries can combat money laundering from the illegal wildlife trade. The illegal wildlife trade is a major transnational organised crime, which generates billions of criminal proceeds each year. One of the most effective ways to identify the broader criminal networks, and take the profit out of this crime, is to follow the financial trails of wildlife traffickers.  The FATF’s 2020 report highlighted the need for every country to assess their money laundering risks related to the illegal wildlife trade and to ensure that there is a robust legal framework to go after the finances of wildlife traffickers, and to pursue financial investigations.

FATF’s work on environmental crime, including the illegal wildlife trade, will also inform possible future policy development.