Britain hosts key nations to coordinate fight against people smugglers
LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Britain will on Monday host a meeting of more than 40 countries and organisations, including the United States, France and Vietnam, to try to coordinate internationally its fight against illegal migration and those who profit from it.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, like all his predecessors for more than a decade, is seeking new ways to stop migrants coming illegally to Britain, where immigration remains a key issue for voters who worry about the pressure it puts on scarce resources like healthcare and housing.
Monday's Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) Summit looks to address every stage of the global industry in people smuggling, including the supply chains for the small boats used to travel from France to Britain, and the tech firms whose social media platforms are used to advertise such illicit crossings.
"This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another and profits from our inability at the political level to come together," Starmer will tell the summit, according to advance extracts of his speech.
Representatives from Meta, X and TikTok will participate.
Migrants from North Africa, the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere pay thousands of pounds to traffickers for places in small inflatable boats that then try to cross one of the world's busiest shipping channels to reach the English coast.
Starmer was elected last year, promising to "smash the gangs" behind the crossings. He immediately ditched the previous Conservative government's policy to deter migrants by setting up a scheme to deport them to Rwanda.
More than 36,800 people made the crossing in 2024, 25% more than the previous year, according to British government data. More than 6,600 people have crossed successfully so far in 2025.
"I simply do not believe Organised Immigration Crime cannot be tackled. We've got to combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling routes," Starmer will say.
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