London,
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivered a strong message on tackling illegal migration at the Organised Immigration Summit in London, calling for greater international collaboration to dismantle human smuggling networks.
Addressing representatives from over 40 nations, Starmer highlighted the growing global security threat posed by illegal migration, emphasizing that “we can only smash these gangs once and for all if we work together.”
He detailed his government’s efforts to strengthen UK border security, including:
• The creation of a new Border Security Command, bringing together police, Border Force, and intelligence agencies to target smugglers.
• Increased international cooperation, citing agreements with France and Germany to enhance enforcement and prosecute smugglers.
• Tougher domestic enforcement, including new laws requiring all UK businesses to verify employees’ right to work, with penalties of up to £60,000 and five years in prison for non-compliance.
• The highest rate of deportations in eight years, with 24,000 people removed since taking office—a direct contrast to the previous government’s controversial Rwanda scheme.
Starmer framed the issue as one of fairness, stating that illegal migration “undermines our ability to control who comes here” and is unfair to both British taxpayers and vulnerable migrants exploited by criminal gangs.
“We are treating people smugglers like terrorists—freezing their assets, banning their travel, and putting them behind bars,” he declared.
With illegal migration set to remain a key political issue, Starmer’s speech signaled a major shift in UK policy—one focused on practical enforcement rather than controversial deterrence schemes.
