UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged global leaders to take decisive action against migrant smuggling networks, calling for international cooperation to dismantle these criminal gangs “once and for all.” Speaking at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in London, Starmer gathered representatives from over 40 nations, including France, Germany, the United States, and China, to address the growing challenge of irregular migration.
The UK government has been struggling to curb the dangerous boat crossings of asylum seekers from France to England. Starmer emphasized that smuggling networks exploit gaps in international policies and that stronger intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement efforts are needed. “There’s nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to this,” he stated, reinforcing the need to tackle smuggling routes at every stage.
The summit builds on a December agreement between the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands to strengthen cooperation against irregular migration. Delegates from migrant origin countries such as Vietnam and Iraq, along with transit nations in the Balkans, were also present. Law enforcement agencies, including Interpol, Europol, and Afripol, joined discussions on smuggling tactics, fraudulent documents, and online recruitment of migrants. Representatives from social media platforms like Meta, X, and TikTok participated to explore ways to curb human traffickers’ use of digital platforms.
The UK has been running targeted campaigns to warn potential migrants about smuggling dangers, with recent efforts focusing on Albania, Iraqi Kurdistan, and Vietnam. British officials are also in talks with China to prevent the export of boat engines and parts used for Channel crossings.
Despite the government’s crackdown, Channel crossings have surged, setting a new record of over 6,600 arrivals in the first three months of the year. At least 10 people have died or gone missing attempting the journey in 2025. Since taking office in July, Starmer’s administration has deported over 24,000 undocumented migrants, but political pressure remains high as support grows for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
Human rights organizations have criticized the UK’s hardline stance. Amnesty International insists that “everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum,” while the Refugee Council argues that enforcement alone is ineffective and urges the UK to expand legal asylum pathways.