UK Welcomes New German Law Targeting Migrant Smuggling
The German government has passed a new law criminalising the facilitation of migrant smuggling, aiming to disrupt gangs storing small boats or engines in Germany before transferring them to France for Channel crossings.
This legislation, agreed upon over more than a year, is expected to come into force by the end of the year and will enhance cooperation and information sharing between UK and German law enforcement agencies.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the move will crack down on smuggling gangs and restore order to border security.
In 2025, although record numbers of small-boat crossings occurred during the first ten months, total arrivals have declined from the 2022 peak, with 28 days recently recorded without crossings, followed by hundreds last weekend.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has shifted away from the previously proposed Rwanda deportation plan, focusing instead on dismantling the gangs behind illegal migration.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasised that cross-border cooperation and legal reforms are essential to tackling criminal smuggling networks and strengthening border security.
Adrian Matthews, director of intelligence at the National Crime Agency, added that the new German law will bolster efforts against the ongoing small boats threat and enhance partnerships with German authorities.
