Sir Keir Starmer is vowing tougher action to “stamp out the vile trade” in human trafficking across the Channel as official figures showed nearly 32,000 people have crossed so far this year.
At an Interpol summit in Glasgow on Monday, the Prime Minister was set to announce that the new Government’s Border Security Command is set to see its funding doubled to £150 million.
Sir Keir, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, has argued that by using anti-terror style tactics and powers to target the gangs behind the “small boats” crossing they can be dramatically reduced.
Tragically, a growing number of people, including children, have drowned in the Channel this year after leaving the French coast on “small boats’ to try to get to Britain.
The extra funding will be used to fund high-tech surveillance equipment and 100 specialist investigators who will target criminals engaged in people smuggling.
The Prime Minister was expected to say: “The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge.
“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.
“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.”
The Government intends to legislate to give border security forces “enhanced” powers, expected to involve expanding counter-terror tactics to deal with people smuggling.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, announced in the King’s Speech in July, will be the fourth piece of immigration legislation since 2022 as successive governments have attempted to tackle this issue with little signs so far of success, including the Tories failed Rwanda deportation scheme.
Sir Keir’s speech comes after more than 5,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in October, making it the busiest month of the year so far for crossings.
Crossings continued into November, with 433 people arriving in the UK via small boats over the first two days of the month.
In total, 31,904 people have made the journey so far this year, up 16.5% on the same point in 2023 (26,699) but still down 22.1% on the same point in 2022 (39,929).
Later in the week, the Prime Minister is expected to attend a summit of the European Political Community in Hungary, where migration and people smuggling are expected to feature on the agenda.
Along with the investment in the Border Security Command, the Prime Minister will announce a £6 million increase in the UK’s support for Interpol as it tackles global organised crime.
The Government will also provide £24 million to tackle serious international crime affecting the UK, including drugs, firearms and fraud, particularly in the Western Balkans.
Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, said: “Serious and organised crime causes more harm, to more people, more often than any other national security threat. And almost all of serious and organised crime now has an international nexus.
“Distance, borders and languages are meaningless to criminals. This is why collaborations with Interpol have never been as important as they are today.
“Tackling organised crime, and especially immigration crime, remains a top priority for the NCA. We are currently leading around 70 investigations into the gangs or individuals involved in the highest echelons of this type of criminality, and we are devoting more resources to it than ever before.”
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Keir Starmer’s announcement on tackling gangs will mean absolutely nothing without a deterrent to stop migrants wishing to make the dangerous journey across the Channel.”
