The UK is calling on European partners to replicate its world-first sanctions regime targeting organised immigration crime gangs, as Foreign Secretary David Lammy urges international action on the defining security threat of our time—irregular migration.
At the Munich Security Conference, Lammy will press for sanctions aimed at people smuggling networks. The conference kicked off today with Lammy meeting US Vice President J.D. Vance to discuss the special relationship, the war in Ukraine, and their commitment to NATO and AUKUS.
The UK and Italy will co-host a migration roundtable, engaging representatives from The Netherlands, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, and others to promote innovative tools to tackle migrant smuggling.
The UK’s plans to freeze assets and impose travel bans on smugglers aim to cripple people-smuggling crime rings and starve them of illicit finance. This move supports the government’s commitment to secure borders through a ‘whole-of-route’ approach, addressing both smugglers and the drivers of migration.
A newly announced £8m funding package will provide alternative opportunities to perilous journeys by boosting education and employment in East Africa. The program has already enabled over 650 migrants in Ethiopia and Kenya to set up their own businesses.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated, “Criminal gangs enabling irregular migration are a national security threat across Europe. We must deliver on our mandate to smash the gangs, secure this country’s borders, and deliver the Plan for Change.”
The government aims to reduce migration pressures by boosting opportunities in migrants’ home regions. Nearly 19,000 failed asylum seekers and other immigration offenders have been returned to their home countries since the election, following increased immigration enforcement.
The UK’s new approach focuses on breaking smuggling gangs’ business models through tougher enforcement powers and rapid removal of illegal migrants. January saw a significant rise in enforcement activity, with 828 premises visited and 609 arrests, marking a substantial increase from the previous year.
Lammy emphasizes the need for collaboration with neighboring countries to tackle the root causes of migration and dismantle people-smuggling operations. The UK’s pioneering efforts seek to restore order to the asylum system and deliver on working people’s priorities.