Issued by: Home Office

UK and Germany agree landmark plan to break the business model of people smuggling gangs, with Germany confirming intention for law change.

The UK and Germany have agreed new action to tackle organised immigration crime, which will make it clear that activities in Germany which facilitate migrant smuggling towards the UK constitute a criminal offence.

The deal was signed in London by the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and German Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser on 9 December. Securing our borders is a foundation of the government’s plan for change and this is the latest step to restore order to the asylum system and deliver on working people’s priorities.

Germany confirmed its intention to clarify their law to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to tackle people smuggling gangs – by making it a criminal offence to facilitate the smuggling of migrants to the UK and giving German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats equipment. This will ensure the UK and Germany can counter the continually evolving tactics of people smuggling gangs.

This agreement is the first of its kind between the UK and Germany and follows the Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin in August where this was a key discussion when he met Chancellor Scholz. It forms a key part of the new government’s wider work to reset the UK’s relationship with international partners and secure the UK’s borders in a decade of national renewal.

Both the UK and Germany are absolutely clear that gangs cannot be allowed to continue undermining both countries’ respective border security. Once enacted, this anticipated law change, alongside the other measures being introduced, is expected to significantly increase the number of prosecutions made in relation to migrant smuggling – ensuring those responsible for this dangerous trade are brought to justice.

The plan will also see the UK and Germany commit to exchanging expertise with a special focus on removing migrant smuggling content from social media platforms; strengthen their focus in Europol on tackling the end-to-end routes of criminal migrant smuggling networks; and further commit to working with European and regional partners to tackle irregular migration upstream.

In addition to boosting border security, this work will reduce the unacceptable loss of life seen on migratory routes and in the Channel. So far this year, more than 70 people have died attempting to cross the Channel in unseaworthy vessels, including a number of babies and children.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

"For too long organised criminal gangs have been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe while putting thousands of lives at risk. We are clear that this cannot go on.

"Germany is already a key partner in our efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling, but there is always more we can do together. Our new joint action plan will deliver a strengthened partnership with Germany, boosting our respective border security as we work to fix the foundations and ultimately saving lives."

Nancy Faeser, German Federal Minister of the Interior said:

"We are now stepping up our joint action to fight the brutal activities of international smugglers. This is at the core of our joint action plan that we have agreed in London. I am very grateful to my British counterpart Yvette Cooper that we were able to reach this important agreement.

"It will help us end the inhumane activities of criminal immigrant smuggling organisations. By cramming people into inflatable boats under threats and violence and sending them across the Channel, these organisations put human lives at risk.

"Many of these crimes are planned in Germany. Together, we are now countering this unscrupulous business with human hardship with even more resolve. This includes maintaining a 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."

Speaking at the European Political Community in Hungary last month, the Prime Minister made clear that closer international collaboration was vital to dismantling the far-ranging networks used by smuggling gangs across Europe. This announcement demonstrates how work has already begun to deliver on this priority and comes amid National Crime Agency officers supporting a number of international operations.

On Monday 2 December, a joint investigation between UK and German authorities led to the arrest of a suspected people smuggler in Leicester. And at the start of this month, NCA officers supported a major operation in Germany, targeting an Iraqi people smuggling network. This activity resulted in 13 arrests as well as the seizure of 21 boats and 24 engines, alongside life jackets, pumps and cash.

The agreement builds on existing work by the new government to smash the gangs and reduce small boat crossings, including the establishment of the Border Security Command, led by Martin Hewitt CBE QPM and backed by £150 million, which will be tasked with implementing the joint action plan for the UK.

It also comes ahead of the next Calais Group meeting which is being co-chaired by the UK and Germany in London on 10 December. Here, the Home Secretary and German Interior Minister will bring together leaders from Belgium, France, The Netherlands, the European Commission and its agencies, Europol and Frontex, to agree enhanced efforts to break the business model of people smuggling gangs and ensure those responsible for this dangerous trade are brought to justice.

Discussions at the summit will include the role of illicit finance in facilitating irregular migration, the need for closer operational cooperation and enhanced intelligence sharing to strengthen law enforcement efforts and how partners can use upstream deterrence messaging and tackle the use of social media by OCGs to make it harder for them to ply their trade.

Read the UK-Germany Joint Action Plan on Irregular Migration here: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-germany-joint-action-plan-irregular-migration)

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