By Christine June
Public Affairs Office
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (April 15, 2015) – Italian Navy Rear Adm. Alberto Cervone, former Marshall Center professor of security studies and Italian Defense Chair, describes the drivers, characteristics and challenges of trafficked migrants during his presentation on “Irregular Migration and Migrant Smuggling” April 15 in the Countering Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking resident program at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here.

He emphasized how the management of these phenomena is one of the most intractable policy issues of our times, due to the strong emotions that is originates, to its instrumental use frequently made by politicians, and to the objective difficulty to find a right balance between economic interests, humanitarian obligations and security considerations.

After explaining the substantial difference between the legal definitions of migrant smuggling and human trafficking, Cervone explored why the role of migrant smugglers is growing, how they are structured and operate, and what the international community and single countries have done to counter them.

Cervone graduated from the Italian naval academy in 1973 as an engineering duty officer and cum laude in marine engineering from the University of Naples in 1976.

In 2010, he earned a PhD in geopolitics and geo-strategy from the University of Trieste, with a dissertation on “Security and Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Region.” He served on board ships and at several commands, directorates and shipyards with main responsibilities in ship design and acquisition. He was program manager of several ship procurement programs, including the new aircraft carrier Cavour.

Marshall Center’s CNIT is a two-and-a-half week resident program that focuses on 21st century national security threats as a result of illicit trafficking and other criminal activities. This resident program started April 9 and ends April 24.

Course design includes guest lecturers from national and international law enforcement and security organizations, course seminar activities discussing the range of government countermeasures to combat criminal activity, and strategy development exercises that focus on best practices and international approaches to combating these growing threats against national security.

This year’s CNIT participants hail from: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Belize; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Colombia; Czech Republic; Dominican Republic; Egypt; El Salvador; Fiji Islands; Georgia; Greece; Guatemala; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kosovo; Malaysia; Maldives; Mauritania; Mexico; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; New Zealand; Nigeria; Oman; Peru; Philippines; Romania; Serbia; Slovenia; South Africa: Tanzania; Thailand; Turkey; Ukraine, United States; and, Uzbekistan.

Participants in this year’s CNIT course work at defense, interior and justice ministries, and law enforcement and other government agencies.  

The course is designed for government officials and practitioners who are engaged in policy development, law enforcement, intelligence, and interdiction activities aimed at countering illicit narcotics trafficking, terrorist involvement in criminal activity, and the associated elements of transnational crime and corruption.

It examines the major methods by which transnational criminal and terrorist organizations engage in illegal narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities for profit.

The mission of the Marshall Center, as a vital instrument of German-American cooperation, is to create a more stable security environment by advancing democratic institutions and relationships; promoting active, peaceful, whole-of-government approaches to address transnational and regional security challenges; and creating and enhancing enduring partnerships worldwide.

The Marshall Center offers eight resident programs that examine complex transnational, regional and international security issues: Program on Terrorism and Security Studies; Program on Applied Security Studies; Program on Security Sector Capacity Building; Seminar on Regional Security; Seminar on Transnational Civil Security; CNIT; Program on Cyber Security Studies; and, Senior Executive Seminar.