The importance of illegal migration in the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances: criminological and legal aspects

The problem of the interconnectedness of illegal migration and illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances is usually considered in the context of the relationship with transnational organized crime. At the same time, these relatively independent phenomena have a large correlation that can be observed outside of the connection with organized crime. At the same time, if they are not embedded in transnational organized crime, attention to them from law enforcement agencies weakens. This cannot but affect the quality of criminal counteraction to these phenomena. On the basis of statistical data, materials of judicial practice and other sources, it is concluded that a significant proportion of illegal migrants in the total number of foreign citizens (stateless persons) included in the illicit trafficking of these funds and substances. Unlike administrative criminal legislation does not contain tools that take into account the specific situation of the specified contingent. According to the results of the study, the author makes the following conclusions: 1. The inclusion of illegal migrants in the drug business can be identified as a modern trend in the development of this type of criminal activity. 2. Illegal migration, regardless of whether it is criminal or not initially associated with the Commission of drug crimes, is a criminal factor that should be taken into account when reforming the criminal policy of combating the illegal distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. 3. The introduction of measures of criminal impact comparable to the administrative expulsion of this category of persons into the criminal legislation should increase the effectiveness of criminal counteraction to drug crime of foreign citizens and stateless persons, as well as illegal migration.