Britain is to sign a new deal with Western Balkan countries to crack down on people smuggling gangs as part of efforts to reduce small boat crossings.
The deals will enhance intelligence sharing and cooperation with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo to intercept and arrest these gangs, with the aim of disrupting their business models at the source.
The government says the region is a main route for people entering the EU or Britain illegally, with nearly 100,000 migrants transiting through the Western Balkans last year.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will announce the plan at a European Political Community (EPC) meeting in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Thursday.
During the summit, the Prime Minister will also host a meeting with European leaders on migration and call for action to reduce the number of deaths in small boats crossing the English Channel.
So far this year, more than 31,000 people have completed the dangerous crossing, more than at this time last year.
Britain has struck deals with countries including Albania and Türkiye to share intelligence to crack down on people-smuggling syndicates.
Sir Keir said: “We have a criminal empire on our continent that is taking a horrific toll on lives and undermining our national security.”
He said the UK would be “at the heart of efforts to end the scourge of organized migrant crime” but “we cannot do this in isolation”.
He added: “We need to go further, faster with our international partners and take the fight straight to the heart of these evil people-smuggling networks.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We will work more closely with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo to share information and intelligence, and work across borders to identify what is happening and where, and to disrupt these criminal gangs at their source. business model.
It comes after the UK government announced an additional £75 million in funding for the UK’s new Border Security Command, which brings together police, intelligence and immigration enforcement agencies to tackle small boat crossings.
The EPC was established in 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and aims to bring together European heads of government for informal talks and improve cooperation.
The group includes the 27 member states of the European Union and 20 other European countries.
In addition to illegal immigration, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic security and global trade are also on the agenda.
