Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to tackle the surging Channel crossing crisis in the same way Jihadi terrorists were thwarted in their attempts to blow up planes across the Atlantic.
Speaking ahead of today’s UK’s first global summit on organised immigration crime, the Prime Minister announced UK state prosecutors will join European and international counterparts in efforts to bring people smuggling gangs to justice.
Countries at the heart of the migrant crisis, including Albania, Vietnam and Iraq, will join the talks, alongside officials from France, the US and China.
Comparing the situation to his stint heading up the Crown Prosecution Service, Starmer appeared to push for more cross-border cooperation to curb Channel crossings.
The Prime Minister said: “This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another and profits from our inability at the political level to come together.
“When I was the Director of Public Prosecutions, we worked across borders throughout Europe and beyond to foil numerous plots, saving thousands of lives in the process.
“We prevented planes from being blown up over the Atlantic and brought the perpetrators to justice.
“I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the same way. I simply do not believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled.
“We’ve got to combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling routes.”
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However, Starmer’s commitment to “smash the gangs” has so far failed to halt arrivals on British shores.
A record-breaking 6,632 migrants have reached the UK this year so far, up from 4,600 at the same point in 2024.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who believes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights is essential to curbing Channel crossings, blasted Starmer ahead of his summit.
Speaking to GB News ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech, Jenrick said: It sounds like a talking shop to me. The facts are clear. The numbers of people coming across on small boats has risen by 31 per cent since Labour came to power.
“Just in the last week alone, 4,000 illegal migrants have broken into our country.
“Labour has lost control of the borders and frankly I don’t think they want to control them or else they wouldn’t have scrapped the Rwanda deterrent. Today’s meeting I doubt will achieve anything at all.”
However, the Prime Minister appeared defiant in his speech at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in Westminster.
Starmer voiced his anger with the situation, warning: “Illegal migration is a massive driver of global insecurity.”
He added: “It undermines our ability to control who comes here and that makes people angry. It makes me angry, frankly.
“Because it is unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price, from the cost of hotels, to our public services struggling under the strain.
“And it is unfair on the illegal migrants themselves because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.”
The Prime Minister urged countries across the world to take “decisive action”.
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Speaking ahead of today’s UK’s first global summit on organised immigration crime, the Prime Minister announced UK state prosecutors will join European and international counterparts in efforts to bring people smuggling gangs to justice.
Countries at the heart of the migrant crisis, including Albania, Vietnam and Iraq, will join the talks, alongside officials from France, the US and China.
Comparing the situation to his stint heading up the Crown Prosecution Service, Starmer appeared to push for more cross-border cooperation to curb Channel crossings.
The Prime Minister said: “This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another and profits from our inability at the political level to come together.
“When I was the Director of Public Prosecutions, we worked across borders throughout Europe and beyond to foil numerous plots, saving thousands of lives in the process.
“We prevented planes from being blown up over the Atlantic and brought the perpetrators to justice.
“I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the same way. I simply do not believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled.
“We’ve got to combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling routes.”
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However, Starmer’s commitment to “smash the gangs” has so far failed to halt arrivals on British shores.
A record-breaking 6,632 migrants have reached the UK this year so far, up from 4,600 at the same point in 2024.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who believes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights is essential to curbing Channel crossings, blasted Starmer ahead of his summit.
Speaking to GB News ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech, Jenrick said: It sounds like a talking shop to me. The facts are clear. The numbers of people coming across on small boats has risen by 31 per cent since Labour came to power.
“Just in the last week alone, 4,000 illegal migrants have broken into our country.
“Labour has lost control of the borders and frankly I don’t think they want to control them or else they wouldn’t have scrapped the Rwanda deterrent. Today’s meeting I doubt will achieve anything at all.”
However, the Prime Minister appeared defiant in his speech at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in Westminster.
Starmer voiced his anger with the situation, warning: “Illegal migration is a massive driver of global insecurity.”
He added: “It undermines our ability to control who comes here and that makes people angry. It makes me angry, frankly.
“Because it is unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price, from the cost of hotels, to our public services struggling under the strain.
“And it is unfair on the illegal migrants themselves because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.”
The Prime Minister urged countries across the world to take “decisive action”.
Find Out More...