Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is to announce an extra £75m of funding to combat people smuggling gangs.
Sir Keir seeks to refocus the country’s approach to border security as an Interpol conference is held in the UK for the first time in more than fifty years.
The cash boost will bring total funding for Britain’s new Border Security Command (BSC) to £150m to build new technology hubs and expand staffing for law enforcement, intelligence and prosecutorial staff.
Sir Keir is expected to warn the Glasgow summit, which brings together senior police officers and ministers from nearly 200 Interpol member countries, that “the world needs to recognize the seriousness of this challenge”.
Sir Keir will set out how he plans to use his experience as prosecutor general to unite agencies in the fight against international terrorists and drug trafficking gangs.
He will say: “I was elected to provide security for the British people and strong borders are part of that – but security doesn’t stop at our borders.
“There is no progress in turning a blind eye to the deaths of men, women and children across the English Channel.
“This is an evil trade that must be stamped out wherever it thrives.”
The Prime Minister wants counter-terrorism measures for border security and an end to the “schism” between police, border forces and intelligence agencies.
The BSC, led by Martin Hewitt, will gain greater powers through the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to make it easier to detect, disrupt and stop those involved in organized immigration crime.
The BSC will also coordinate the work of intelligence agencies and law enforcement with its European counterparts and will receive additional funding for:
- 300 additional BSC staff to strengthen global partnerships and develop new legislation
- The National Crime Agency (NCA) has deployed an extra 100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers to target criminals involved in people smuggling.
- NCA surrounds new technology for advanced data exploitation, aims to strengthen collaboration with European partners investigating trafficking networks
- Create a new specialist intelligence unit to examine information from major police forces.
- Improve the Crown Prosecution Service’s ability to make charging decisions more quickly in international organized crime cases.
Sir Keir will also announce that the British government will allocate an additional £6 million this year to increase support for Interpol’s global operations to combat serious organized crime affecting the UK through drug crime.
The Home Office will also invest £24 million in the new financial year to tackle international organized crime affecting the UK, including drugs and firearms, fraud, trafficking and exploitation.
Part of the funding will be used to support the work of the Special Prosecutor and operational partners in the Western Balkans.
The number of drug poisoning deaths registered in 2023 was 5,448, an annual increase of 11% and the highest level since records began in 1993.
NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said there were currently 70 investigations underway into these gangs or individuals.
“Serious and organized crime causes more harm, and harms more people more often than any other national security threat,” he said.
“Distance, borders and language mean nothing to criminals. That’s why cooperation with Interpol has never been more important than it is today.”
The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
