Germany and the United Kingdom have signed a joint agreement to intensify efforts against human trafficking, focusing on dismantling networks responsible for smuggling migrants across the English Channel.
This move follows a BBC investigation linking the German city of Essen to trafficking operations involving small boats.
On Monday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper formalized the agreement to enhance collaboration in prosecuting smuggling syndicates and preventing dangerous small-boat crossings.
The UK Home Office confirmed that Germany has committed to amending its laws to criminalize the facilitation of migrant smuggling to the UK. This will empower German prosecutors to combat the supply and storage of small-boat equipment, while both nations work to counter the evolving strategies of trafficking gangs.
The agreement aligns with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s priority of curbing irregular migration by targeting trafficking networks. In September, Starmer reached a similar deal with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to enhance intelligence sharing.
British government data shows that as of December 1, 2024, 33,684 people had crossed the English Channel to the UK via small boats. Tragically, at least 70 migrants have died attempting the journey this year, according to *Le Parisien*.
German authorities have recently intensified their crackdown on smuggling networks. Last week, coordinated raids across North-Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, in collaboration with Europol and French security services, targeted an Iraqi-Kurdish criminal network. The suspects, based in Germany, are accused of organizing the purchase and transport of inflatable boats used to ferry migrants from France to the UK.
