Telegraph e-paper

International co-operation is crucial to stopping the boats

By Robert Jenrick

To stop the boats, we must take the fight to people smugglers upstream. The challenges we face from illegal crossings to the UK are stark, but the problem does not solely exist at the cliffs of Dover or on the beaches of Dunkirk. For most of those departing France in small boats, these crossings are the final leg of a much longer journey across continents and through the Western Balkans, or across the Mediterranean and through Europe.

The global nature of the migration crisis requires the UK to pursue international solutions in order to stop the boats. At each juncture along the migrant route is an opportunity to intervene before migrants are within reach of the UK. If the UK can work together with transit countries to reduce illegal migration, and stem the flow from source countries through development, the logical outcome is that this will reduce the number of people travelling into, and through, Europe – and reaching our shores. Supporting our international partners to tackle illegal migration is therefore not only the morally right thing to do but is ultimately in our self-interest.

That is why I have spent the past week meeting the governments of strategically important countries across Northern Africa, central and western Europe, in order to strengthen our relationships and develop practical ways to help stem the flow of illegal migration plaguing societies.

As Immigration Minister, I felt it was important to experience the journey a migrant may take – from Algeria to Tunisia, and onwards to Italy and France. Each state is taking robust steps to secure their borders, and each welcomed the UK’s support for deeper operational collaboration, intelligence sharing, and more targeted deployment of our resources.

In Italy, for instance, we agreed to set up a reciprocal visit programme between our border officers to share best practice and intelligence.

Underpinning our work abroad is the recognition that we must relentlessly pursue the people smuggling gangs who are orchestrating the flow of people – and backed by increased funding to law enforcement, like the National Crime Agency, the UK is deepening our joint work with strategically important countries to dismantle, disrupt and deny criminal gangs upstream.

My trip underscores the Government’s strategy to tackle illegal migration long before migrants are within reach of the UK. This week, the Home Office launched the latest phase of our upstream deterrence social media campaign, a carefully targeted effort to combat the disinformation peddled by people smugglers in areas where populations are particularly likely to migrate, in order to deter economic migrants setting off on dangerous and unnecessary journeys.

In December last year, we signed a joint communiqué with Albania, a safe country, so that we can facilitate swifter returns of people with no right to remain in the UK and destroy the people smugglers’ business model. Since then, more than a thousand Albanian nationals with no right to be in the UK have been returned via weekly flights.

Leading the international community and deepening cooperation with our partners is key to stop the boats, because no country can tackle the global migration crisis alone. That’s why the Prime Minister continues to place the scourge of illegal migration on the agenda on the world stage.

The Government is working around the clock both at home and abroad to remove the incentives to travel and tackle the organised crime groups, so we can deliver on our promise to the British people to stop the boats.

News

en-gb

2023-06-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailytelegraph.pressreader.com/article/281569475115687

Daily Telegraph