The UK and Germany vowed to tackle people-smuggling networks that send migrants across the English Channel. Both nations agreed to improve intelligence sharing and disrupt smuggling operations.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser signed a “joint action plan” in London. This agreement includes criminalizing smuggling activities in Germany and focusing on dinghies stored within its borders.
Boosting Cross-Border Law Enforcement
“These criminal gangs undermine border security and endanger lives with dangerous crossings,” Cooper stated. She stressed the importance of cross-border law enforcement to combat these networks effectively.
Faeser underscored the collaboration’s goals: “Maintain investigative pressure, share intelligence efficiently, and follow financial flows to identify and stop criminals.”
Both countries also pledged to remove smuggling advertisements from social media, targeting the platforms used by these criminal groups. Disrupting their financial networks remains a key focus.
Rebuilding UK-EU Cooperation Post-Brexit
The agreement precedes a “Calais Group” meeting, involving the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Europol, and Frontex. This initiative helps rebuild post-Brexit ties between the UK and its European neighbors. Brexit has hindered cooperation, removing the UK from Europol and EU intelligence-sharing systems.
Despite UK-France efforts, the Channel remains a major route for migrants fleeing hardship. Many prefer the UK for language familiarity, family ties, or perceptions of better opportunities.
This year, over 31,000 migrants crossed the Channel, surpassing 2023’s total. More than 70 lives were lost, making it the deadliest year since 2018, when crossings began to surge.
