Ministers pledge coordinated action on migrant smuggling

MINISTERS from Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium will meet in London on Tuesday (10) to step up cooperation in the fight against gangs smuggling migrants into Europe.

The representatives of the so-called Calais Group will agree on "enhanced efforts to break the business model of people smuggling gangs and ensure that those responsible for this dangerous trade are brought to justice", the British Home Office said in a statement.

Representatives of the European Commission and the Frontex and Europol agencies will also participate in drawing up the action plan.

In particular, the parties will seek to improve intelligence sharing to disrupt illicit financial flows and facilitate the prosecution of smugglers in Europe.

UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and German counterpart Nancy Faeser on Monday (9) announced the signing of a joint action plan between London and Berlin.

The plan "strengthens operational capabilities of UK and German law enforcement to tackle the challenge of migrant smuggling, the trafficking of persons", the statement said.

Germany will also agree to "clarify" its law to make it a crime to smuggle migrants to the UK.

"This will give German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats equipment and allow the UK and Germany to better counter the continually evolving tactics of people smuggling gangs", the statement said.

"Many of these crimes are planned in Germany," Faeser acknowledged. "Together, we are now countering this unscrupulous business with even more resolve.

"This includes maintaining high investigative pressure, exchanging information between our security authorities as best as possible, and persistently investigating financial flows to identify the criminals operating behind the scenes."

In November, prime minister Keir Starmer called for greater international cooperation against smuggling networks, which he described as a "global security threat similar to terrorism".

Nearly 34,000 migrants have arrived in Britain on makeshift boats since January, and at least 70 people died in 2024, the deadliest year on record.

(AFP)