UK doubles funding to smash people smuggling gangs

Undocumented migration, particularly of people crossing the Channel from northern France, was a major issue at the polls in July when Starmer's Labour party was elected

By AFP

Published: Mon 4 Nov 2024, 4:38 PM

Britain will double the £75 million ($97 million) it has earmarked to tackle criminal people smuggling gangs, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Downing Street office said on Monday.

The additional funding will provide £150 million over two years for Starmer's new Border Security Command, part of his policy to bring down the number of undocumented migrants arriving in Britain by small boats.

The announcement comes as Starmer's new Labour government — like its Conservative predecessor — struggles to drive down numbers despite his pre-election pledge to "smash" the criminal gangs behind them.

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In a speech to the Interpol general assembly in Glasgow later on Monday, Starmer is expected to say the "world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge".

Undocumented migration, particularly of people crossing the Channel from northern France, was a major issue at the polls in July when Starmer's Labour party was elected.

One of Starmer's first moves as prime minister was to abolish the last Conservative government's controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

"I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn't stop at our borders," he will say.

"There's nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the (English) Channel."

Starmer's government also intends to legislate to give border security forces "enhanced" powers, expected to involve expanding counter-terror tactics to deal with people smuggling.

"This is a vile trade that must be stamped out -- wherever it thrives. So we're taking our approach to counter-terrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command," he will say.

According to latest provisional statistics, nearly 32,000 undocumented migrants arrived in Britain after crossing the Channel in small boats this year.

At least 60 people have died trying to make the crossing.

Later this week, Starmer is due to attend a summit of the European Political Community in Hungary, where migration and people smuggling are expected to feature on the agenda.