Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared war on people smuggling networks, blaming “fragmented” UK border systems for allowing a record surge in Channel crossings. Speaking at the inaugural Global Organised Immigration Crime Summit in London, Starmer revealed over 6,000 migrants have reached Britain by small boat this year the highest number ever recorded for this period. “This exploitation makes me angry,” the PM told delegates from 40 nations, including key migrant origin countries like Vietnam and Albania, as well as tech firms Meta and TikTok.
The government claims progress in tackling the crisis, citing 24,000 deportations since July and new international cooperation agreements. Starmer pledged to treat people smuggling with the same seriousness as terrorism, proposing enhanced police powers and cross-border intelligence sharing. “We inherited a broken system that essentially invited smugglers to exploit our borders,” he said, criticizing the previous Conservative government’s approach. However, critics argue the summit is merely symbolic without concrete action.
The Conservative opposition maintains only a robust deportation scheme like the scrapped Rwanda plan can effectively deter crossings. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp pointed to the 31% increase in arrivals since Labour took office, calling the summit “a talking shop that changes nothing.” With the people smuggling trade estimated at $10 billion annually and public patience wearing thin, Starmer faces mounting pressure to deliver results beyond rhetoric as the small boats crisis continues unabated.
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