Germany to tighten people-smuggling law in UK deal

Over 33,000 have crossed the English Channel by small boat this year, which is higher than the 29,000 last year, but below the record numbers in 2022.

More than 70 people have died trying to make the crossing this year this year, and the average number of people per boat has risen to 53 compared with 10 back in 2019.

After coming into power in July, the Labour government ditched the previous Conservative government’s plan to deter crossings by sending to Rwanda those making the journey.

Instead Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said his government would focus on tackling the criminal gangs arranging the crossings.

As part of that approach, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has signed an agreement with Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, committing to co-operation on tackling people smuggling.

Under the Joint Action Plan, Germany has confirmed its intention to make clear that activities in Germany that facilitate migrant-smuggling to the UK will be deemed criminal offences.

The joint action plan also commits the two countries to “exchanging expertise with a special focus on removing migrant-smuggling content from social media platforms”.

The UK government said: “Once enacted, this anticipated law change is expected to significantly increase the number of prosecutions made in relation to migrant smuggling.”

Earlier this year the BBC investigated the German connection to small boat crossings in the Channel with people smugglers operating in the west German city of Essen.

At the time, one UK Home Office source told the BBC there was “frustration” about Germany’s legal framework, which did not technically consider the arranging of people smuggling to countries outside of the EU to be illegal.