Official announcements or agreements involving the UK government and international partners.

PM Keir Starmer Pledges £75m to Stop Small Boats, Vows to Treat Smugglers Like Terrorists

Nov 4, 2024, 09:17 AM

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, has announced new measures to tackle the issue of illegal immigration via small boats crossing the English Channel. Speaking at the 92nd Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow, Starmer declared people smuggling a national security threat and compared the fight against people-smuggling gangs to efforts against terrorism. The UK government will double the funding for the Border Security Command, pledging an additional £75 million to enhance enforcement and intelligence capabilities, and will invest an extra £6 million in Interpol projects to support improved data sharing and faster communication. Starmer emphasized the formation of a crack team of investigators and plans to fast-track people smugglers through the courts. He also plans to hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to strengthen international cooperation. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper echoed the Prime Minister's sentiments, emphasizing the need for global alliances to dismantle the organized crime networks profiting from human misery. Starmer called on the world to 'wake up' to the severity of the migration crisis and vowed to treat people-smuggling gangs with the same urgency as terrorist organizations. He underscored that there is 'nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women, and children die in the Channel.' These measures are part of the government's 'personal mission' to end the crossings and address the growing number of illegal migrants entering the UK. So far this year, over 32,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats, highlighting the urgency of the situation.