PULSE - Europe beyond the beat

The phenomenon

Migration, the last frontier of traffickers: 120 km/h 'ghost boats

Criminal networks are now moving in fast, high-performance boats, capable of unloading migrants on the coasts of Spain and Italy within minutes. Security forces: 'They are too fast to stop them'

by Silvia Martelli

21 November 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

In 2025, the overall numbers of migration to Europe fell sharply. According to data released by Frontex, between January and September, irregular arrivals fell by 22% in the European Union, while in Italy - the gateway to entry via the central Mediterranean route - flows remain stable but not growing.

Austria reports a -32% drop in asylum applications, Greece continues to see shrinking numbers, and Eastern Europe also reports a marked decrease in migratory pressures. The most striking exception is Spain, where the Western Mediterranean route - mainly from Morocco - saw a 28% increase in arrivals. A change that, according to analysts and authorities, has a very specific reason: the technological evolution of the boats used by traffickers.

The era of 'phantoms': speedboats capable of exceeding 120 km/h

Instead of the usual makeshift boats, traffickers are investing in modern, powerful and very fast speedboats, which make interception by maritime authorities almost impossible.

A spokeswoman for Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, summarises the phenomenon as follows: 'They are faster and more manoeuvrable than the large patrol vessels of the national authorities.

The move to more sophisticated means took place very quickly, confirming what experts have been repeating for years: each new containment measure produces an equally rapid response from criminal networks, which change routes or invest in more effective technologies.

A viral video released in August, filmed by some bathers on a beach near Granada, showed a dark speedboat arrive at the shore in seconds, leave the migrants in the shallow water and leave immediately. In the ensuing confusion some outraged tourists detained some migrants until the police arrived. The boat, however, had already disappeared over the horizon.

Record seizures: €1 million fleet

A joint operation between the Spanish authorities and Europol confirmed the economic significance of this new operational model. In August, 14 people linked to a network active between Algeria and Spain were arrested. Security forces seized 15 motorboats, with a total value of more than EUR 1 million.

The boats, between 7.5 and 8 metres long, mounted engines from 200 to 425 horsepower and reached 65 knots - about 120 km/h, faster than most European coastal forces. It is not surprising, therefore, that some Guardia Civil operators call these vessels 'phantoms'.

A Spanish coast guard, quoted in the local press, recounts the operational difficulties as follows:

'There is no legal way to stop them,' said a coast guard. They are Ferraris driven by experts at the wheel, who don't care about anything'.

The Guardia Civil has introduced interception motorboats capable of speeds in excess of 60 knots, but the authorities admit that the speed difference, combined with the elusive techniques of the criminal networks - often several motorboats at the same time, to confuse patrols - make the operation extremely complex. And above all risky: contact at those speeds could have fatal consequences.

A growing business: 'Better migrants than drugs'

The fees charged for a place on these speedboats vary between 6,000 and 15,000 euros per person. An astronomical figure for most migrants, but one that is making the trade extremely profitable.

According to Moroccan lawyer and researcher Hussein Bakkar al-Sabai, who specialises in migration and human rights, 'speedboat drivers prefer to transport migrants rather than drugs, because they earn more money that way'. The observation reveals a strategic shift in the North African criminal world: human trafficking becomes a more lucrative and less risky alternative to drug trafficking, mainly due to fast and difficult-to-intercept means.

From Libya to Italy: 'rapid and almost invisible' transfers

Similar cases have also been documented between Libya and Italy. Frontex speaks of 'rapid transfers', very fast transfers operated with light, fast boats that are difficult to detect even with aerial surveillance systems.

Although they are considered safer means of transport than traditional dinghies, the speed does not eliminate the dangers. In some cases, to avoid entering European waters - with the consequent risk of interception - traffickers have forced migrants to throw themselves into the sea near the coast, even threatening them with firearms. The aim is to minimise the time spent in the EU surveillance area: a faster operating model, but not without violence and lethal risks.

A challenge for Europe

The shift to fast speedboats represents a new phase of irregular migration: technologically advanced, well-financed and difficult to counter with current instruments. For Spain and Italy, the two main destinations of these new flows, the issue concerns not only border security, but also the ability to adapt rules and means to a reality that changes faster than legislation and operational strategies. The European authorities agree on one point: without a coordinated response - technological, legal and diplomatic - the phenomenon is destined to grow.

*This article is part of the European collaborative journalism project "Pulse" and was contributed by Der Standard (Austria) and El Confidencial (Spain)