A major upgrade in international co-operation is needed to tackle
the vile criminal gangs who trade in people's misery for profit,
the Prime Minister will say in Hungary today.
Attending the European Political Community meeting in Budapest,
he will meet key European partners and urge concerted action to
reduce the number of deaths in the Channel as a result of
dangerous and illegal small boats crossings.
He will say that all European countries bear a responsibility to
end the devastation caused by people smugglers and that lawful,
international co-operation will be key to these efforts.
To support this, the Prime Minister will announce new UK plans to
clamp down on organised immigration crime abroad by signing new
agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo.
The deals will increase intelligence sharing, expertise and
co-operation in order to intercept the criminal gangs as they
transit vulnerable people through these countries, arrest them,
and break their business models at source.
Almost 100,000 migrants transited through the Western Balkans
last year, making it a key route used by those who end up in the
EU or UK illegally.
These agreements build on the existing partnership between the UK
and Albania, which includes joint operational activity targeting
the illicit finance flows that underpin the operations of the
criminal gangs who seek to compromise Britain's border.
These results demonstrate the impact of increased international
collaboration on irregular migration – which the Prime Minister
has made a key focus of his wider work to reset the UK's
relationship with its international partners since taking
office.
Prime Minister said:
“There is a criminal empire operating on our continent,
exacting a horrendous human toll and undermining our national
security.
“Backed by our new Border Security Command, the UK will be at
the heart of the efforts to end the scourge of organised
immigration crime – but we cannot do it in isolation.
“We need to go further and faster, alongside our
international partners, and take the fight directly to the heart
of these vile people smuggling networks. I will be making this
the central feature of my discussions at the European Political
Community meeting today.”
Home Secretary said:
“Our work with our partners in the Western Balkans is
absolutely key to dismantling the criminal networks that
orchestrate the exploitation of vulnerable people for financial
gain.
“Working more closely with Serbia, North Macedonia and
Kosovo, we will share information and intelligence, and work
across borders to map out what is happening and where, to break
the business models of these unscrupulous gangs at
source.
“Through our intensified work, criminals will soon realise
they have nowhere to hide.”
While at the EPC, the Prime Minister will also chair a meeting on
migration with fellow European leaders and stress the need for a
better collective response on organised immigration crime, as
well as more upstream co-operation with transit and origin
countries.
It follows his speech to the Interpol Conference in Glasgow this
week, where he warned that organised immigration crime must be
treated in the same way as terrorism, with greater sharing of
international intelligence and more joint operational work in
order to dismantle the networks used by smuggling gangs.
As part of this, he announced £75 million in additional funding
for the UK's Border Security Command, which will boost
state-of-the-art tech and see extra staff hired to lead
enforcement and intelligence work in order to protect the UK's
borders.
It comes as the latest figures confirmed the government has
returned 9,400 people with no right to be in the UK – including
2,590 enforced returns, an increase of 19% on the same period in
2023.
The EPC is the latest in a series of international engagements
for the Prime Minister, as he seeks to rebuild Britain's
reputation abroad in order to deliver tangible results for the
British people at home.
He will also discuss how closer collaboration can drive economic
growth in the UK, and our enduring support for Ukraine in the
face of Putin's ongoing illegal invasion.
