UK and Italy Launch Task Force to Combat People Smuggling, Yvette Cooper Announces January 2024 Start with 13,500 Removals

Dec 15, 2024, 06:15 AM

The UK and Italy are collaborating to combat people smuggling through a new task force employing tactics traditionally used against organized crime. The initiative, announced by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper during her meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, is set to launch in January 2024. The task force aims to 'follow the money' in efforts to dismantle smuggling networks. Additionally, Cooper will travel to Italy again this weekend for further discussions on illegal migration, where she is expected to meet with Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and UN refugee agency representative Chiara Cardoletti. This move follows a recent joint plan between the UK and Iraq to address smuggling gangs amid increasing pressure to manage irregular immigration across Europe and the MENA region. The Labour government has reported the removal of 13,500 individuals without the right to remain in the UK since taking office, marking the highest number since 2018. This period has seen more migrants removed from the UK than in any six months since 2019, indicating a significant escalation in efforts to manage illegal immigration.