UK PM Vows to Treat 'People Smugglers Like Terrorists'

London: On Monday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer anunced a £75 million investment to increase border security efforts, pledging to apply proven counter-terrorism strategies to combat people smuggling operations.

In a speech at Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized need for collaboration and anunced that British prosecutors had been sent to Pakistan to collaborate on counter-terrorism efforts. He highlighted that illegal migration significantly contributes to global insecurity and called for united actions to eliminate "vile trade" of people smugglers.

“People-smuggling should be viewed as a global security threat similar to terrorism,” stated Starmer.

“We’ve got to combine resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle problem upstream, working toger to shut down smuggling routes. We do that with terrorism. When I was Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), it was my personal mission to smash terrorist gangs; and we worked across borders to ensure safety of citizens, across Europe and across world. w, as UK’s Prime Minister, it is my personal mission to smash people smuggling gangs,” said former chief prosecutor of Britain.

Alluding to previous Conservative Party government’s slogan of “stop boats”, Starmer asserted that his Labour government is resetting UK’s whole approach to this challenge.

“ more gimmicks. more gesture politics. more irresponsible, undeliverable promises that almost by design – seek conflict with or countries,” he said.

In a clear departure from Tory policies, Starmer pledged UK would never withdraw from European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) under Labour.

He added: “Indeed, we’re proud of role UK played in creating that Convention. Respecting international treaties also makes international co-operation easier, because it shows that UK is a reliable partner.

So our approach is different.

"We’re going to treat people smugglers like terrorists. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we kw works – and applying it to gangs, with our new Border Security Command (BSC). We’re ending fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence ncies. Recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators.” With this week’s anuncement, BSC funding goes up to GBP 150 million towards extra staff to strengn global partnerships, additional specialist investigators and intelligence officers for National Crime ncy (NCA), new NCA techlogy around advanced data exploitation, and boosting Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) ability to deliver quicker charges on people smuggling international organised crime cases.

Downing Street also released ad-hoc statistics to claim that 9,400 returns of illegal migrants have been recorded since Starmer-led government took charge in July. This included 2,590 enforced returns of people with legal right to remain in UK, compared with 2,170 enforced returns over same period in 2023, an increase of 19 per cent. issue of illegal migration, especially through precarious small boat crossings across English Channel, has been a major concern and played a key role in general election campaign.

"It is a shame that Starmer has t recognised extent of crisis in Channel sooner, as he and Labour Party voted against numerous measures to stop gangs while y were in Opposition,” said a Tory spokesperson, days after party elected a new leader in Kemi Badech.

Nigerian-herit former Cabinet minister, who succeeds Rishi Sunak as Leader of Opposition, has been putting final touches to her shadow Cabinet who will start taking ir place in House of Commons this week.

(with PTI inputs)