UK, Greece sign new pact to fight human smuggling

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The UK has signed a new migration pact with Greece aimed at strengthening border security and disrupting human smuggling gangs operating across Europe and the Mediterranean.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper signed the agreement during a visit to Athens where she is meeting her Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis, according to a British statement on Thursday.

The partnership will increase cooperation on returns, law enforcement, and addressing the drivers of migration.

Under the agreement, the UK will provide training to Greek law enforcement agencies to help combat organized immigration crime and disrupt the supply chains used to facilitate small boat crossings.

The pact builds on recent joint operations between Greek authorities and the UK’s National Crime Agency.

“Illegal and dangerous boat crossings are undermining border security in both the Channel and the Mediterranean. Tackling and preventing illegal migration and going after the multimillion-pound criminal smuggler gangs is a top priority for both the UK and Greece,” Copper said in a statement.

She added: “Organized immigration crime is a global threat – so we are taking a whole government approach. Here in the Foreign Office we are increasing our work with other countries to tackle this issue at every stage of the people smuggling routes into Europe.”

She also said the agreement would help tackle smuggling networks earlier along migration routes, “helping to address these problems before they reach our shores.”

The visit also included an announcement of new UK funding for projects in Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia.

The funding would support job creation and help divert thousands of potential migrants into employment closer to home, reducing the pressures that lead to dangerous Mediterranean crossings, the statement said.

The pact with Greece follows a series of recent UK deals on migration, including a returns agreement with France and new partnerships with Germany, Iraq, and countries in the Western Balkans.