Smuggling ring uncovered; crackdown on document forgery; raid at a large slaughterhouse. "Illegal migrants arrested" are typical headlines that occasionally bring the usually invisible phenomenon of smuggling crime into the public eye. As part of organized crime, this area of crime, which is hardly noticeable to most citizens, holds significant importance. But what is really behind it? How have smuggling crime and irregular migration in Germany developed over the past 20 years? What are the key trends of the present and the challenges for the future? Markus Pfau examines these and other questions in his extensive analysis. Based on the insights and conclusions gained, he then explores how police authorities are addressing this phenomenon.