LONDON: Five European countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, have committed to intensifying their collaboration in the fight against people trafficking. The agreement came on Tuesday as the UK and Germany signed a bilateral pact to target smuggling gangs operating across the English Channel.
The meeting in London was attended by key officials, including France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the Netherlands’ Migration Minister Marjolein Faber, and Belgium’s Migration Minister Nicole de Moor. They were joined by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Britain’s border security chief Martin Hewitt, who was appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to lead efforts in dismantling the trafficking networks.
This issue has grown increasingly urgent as irregular migration continues to rise, with nearly 34,000 undocumented migrants reaching the UK this year alone. The dangerous journey across the Channel, often in unsafe boats, has resulted in at least 70 deaths in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record.
As part of the bilateral agreement between the UK and Germany, both countries will work together to address the legal gaps surrounding smuggling activities. This includes efforts to better equip German prosecutors to handle the supply of small boats and improve cooperation in tackling evolving smuggling tactics. The UK’s net migration, estimated at 728,000 for the year ending in June 2024, also highlights the growing strain on immigration systems, exacerbated by ongoing instability in regions like Syria, which could provide further opportunities for traffickers to exploit vulnerable populations.
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