Starmer hires 300 extra officers to stop record migrant crossings

Telegraph

2 days ago

An extra 300 officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) will be deployed to target Channel people smugglers in a new bid to prevent migrant crossings hitting a record this year.
Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, announced a £100 million investment in border security which will pay for the NCA to get an additional 300 officers to work on organised immigration crime.
It is three times the uplift of 100 NCA officers when the Government set up the Border Security Command under former police chief Martin Hewitt.
The money will also pay for new state-of-the-art technology and equipment to detect and disrupt the crime gangs behind the small boats, including hi-tech undercover cameras, listening devices and AI-assisted intelligence and data analysis tools.
Since taking up the post, Mr Hewitt has boosted the use of undercover tactics, covert surveillance and intercepts to track down and stop the people smugglers.
The NCA claims to have prosecuted major smuggling gang kingpins, seized more than 600 small boats and engines, and disrupted a further 351 criminal gangs through the work of the NCA.
Some of the extra money will also support the new pilot of the 'one-in, one-out' returns agreement between the UK and France, which for the first time will see migrants who arrive illegally on small boats sent back to France.
In exchange, the UK will take a similar number of asylum seekers from France.
Ministers hope the extra investment, the new deal with the French and France's pledge to intercept the smugglers' taxi boats at sea for the first time, will reverse the upward surge in crossings which have hit record levels this year.
Some 25,436 migrants have already crossed since the New Year, up nearly 50 per cent on both 2024 and 2022, when a record 45,755 reached the UK on small boats. Unless the new measures work and deter or stop the migrants, the crossings are on course to pass 60,000 if the upward trajectory remains the same.
Ms Cooper said: 'For six years, the small boat smuggling gangs were allowed to embed their criminal trade along our coast, and have shown a ruthless ability to adapt their tactics and maximise their profits, no matter how many lives they put at risk.
'They must not be allowed to get away with this vile crime.
'That is why this government has developed a serious and comprehensive plan to dismantle their business model, from disrupting their supply chains across the European continent to clamping down on their illegal working operations here in the UK.
'In the last twelve months, we have set the foundations for this new and much stronger law enforcement approach – establishing the new Border Security Command, strengthening the NCA and UK police operations, increasing Immigration Enforcement, introducing new counter terror style powers in our Border Security Bill, and establishing cooperation agreements with Europol and other countries.
'Now this additional funding will strengthen every aspect of our plan, and will turbo-charge the ability of our law enforcement agencies to track the gangs and bring them down, working with our partners overseas, and using state-of-the-art technology and equipment.'
However, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the £100m was a gimmick that would make no real difference.
'There have been more than 25,000 illegal crossings so far this year, making it the worst year in history. Labour has failed and their laughable claim to smash the gangs lies in tatters,' he said.
'They have no serious plan, just excuses, while ruthless criminal gangs flood our borders with illegal immigrants. The Conservative Deportation Bill is the only real solution. Immediate detention, rapid removal and shutting down these illegal networks for good.
'This weak Labour government has lost control of our borders, and we now see rapes and sexual assaults by illegal immigrants reported on a near daily basis.'
In a statement to The Telegraph, however, Mr Hewitt said: 'This additional £100 million investment in our Border Security Command represents a critical escalation in our fight against the criminal gangs exploiting our immigration system and putting lives at risk through dangerous Channel crossings.
'This significant immediate funding will deliver cutting-edge technology, additional officers, and enhanced intelligence capabilities to dismantle the organised criminal networks at every level.
'This comprehensive package will strengthen our frontline capabilities with more National Crime Agency staff focused on intelligence targeting of crime gang members, state-of-the-art detection technology, and sophisticated new equipment designed to disrupt organised immigration crime.
'We're also investing in our domestic response, bolstering our Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce and intensifying illegal working enforcement to tackle the UK-based elements of these criminal operations.
'Crucially, this funding recognises that organised immigration crime is a global issue requiring a global response.
'We're extending our reach upstream and across transit countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia to target criminal gangs at source, disrupt human trafficking networks, remove the supply of dangerous small boat equipment, and counter the lies criminals tell vulnerable people about safe passage.
'The investment will also support the implementation of the UK's new 'one-in, one-out' returns agreement pilot with France and the enhanced powers under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, including new capabilities to seize and analyse digital devices for intelligence gathering and criminalise the dissemination of online material that promotes breaches of immigration law.
'As part of the government's Plan for Change to secure our borders, we are working hand-in-hand with international partners to use every tool at our disposal to stop these criminal gangs getting away with undermining our border security, and to protect the vulnerable people they are exploiting for profit.'