Friday’s summit was also attended by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Attorney General Lord Hermer and representatives from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Forces and Crown Prosecution Service.
Graeme Biggar, head of the NCA, was expected to tell the attendees that in recent weeks, co-operation with Bulgaria has led to more than 40 small boats and engines being seized, which could have been used to transport 2,400 people across the Channel.
The NCA says more than 410 small boats and engines have been seized since last spring.
Mr Biggar was also expected to set out the details of 70 other ongoing investigations including raids of warehouses in Libya, where migrants were being held.
The summit will look at analysis of the operational capabilities of the criminal smuggling gangs.
The Home Office had promised a “rapid” recruitment of a border security command chief to target the gangs, however no appointment has yet been announced. Downing Street says it will be confirmed “in the next few weeks”.
Ms Cooper said the last two months had seen “encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe”.
“But there is work to do,” she added, “and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners.
“At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.”
Source link
