Germany and the United Kingdom have agreed to work closely to stop the smuggling of migrants across borders. As part of this new agreement, Germany plans to change its laws to make it a crime to help people migrate illegally to countries outside the European Union, like the UK.
This legal change is expected to begin before the end of the year. Right now, German law does not stop smugglers from helping people travel illegally to non-EU countries. This gap has allowed smugglers to use Germany as a place to prepare boats and equipment for crossing the English Channel into the UK.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed this move. He said that Germany’s decision will help stop smugglers from using dangerous boats to carry migrants across the water. A BBC report last year found that some German warehouses were being used to store small boats and engines meant for illegal crossings.
The new law will give German police more power to search for these smugglers and close their operations. Even though the plan started under Germany’s last government, the new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is expected to sign it officially during his visit to the UK this week.
This deal is part of a bigger agreement between Germany and the UK that also covers trade and defence. The visit will also bring in new investments and business partnerships. One of the companies, STARK, is planning to open a new centre in Swindon, creating 100 new jobs.
More than 21,000 people have crossed the English Channel this year, which is a 56% increase compared to last year. The UK government has already made a similar deal with France to return some migrants who arrive by small boats. Under that plan, for every migrant sent back to France, the UK will accept someone with family ties in Britain.
However, not everyone supports the new steps. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, a member of the Conservative Party, said the current government is just making “headline-chasing” moves and has lost control of the border crisis.
Along with the migrant plans, both countries will sign a deal to work together on defence exports, including military vehicles and fighter jets. Officials say this could bring in billions of pounds and create thousands of jobs over the next 10 years.