UK home secretary convenes major summit focusing on combating criminal smuggling gangs

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will lead a major operational summit at the National Crime Agency (NCA) headquarters in London, focusing on dismantling the criminal smuggling gangs responsible for small boat crossings.

The summit came in the wake of a tragic incident in the English Channel earlier this week, where at least 12 people lost their lives attempting the dangerous journey.

Several others remain in critical condition.

"Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs," Cooper said in an official statement on Friday.

"Women and children were packed into an unsafe boat which literally collapsed in the water this week. At least 12 people were killed as part of this evil trade. We will not rest until these networks have been dismantled and brought to justice," she added.

The summit will review the progress made by UK law enforcement agencies in disrupting the smuggling operations.

It will also focus on bolstering international cooperation, particularly with European agencies, to tackle the smuggling routes that transport people, boats, and engines into Europe and onto the French coastline.

Cooper stated that although recent seizures of boats and equipment in Europe were encouraging, much work remained.

She reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to rapidly enhancing its enforcement capabilities through the newly established Border Security Command in the coming months.

"At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm, and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced," Cooper said.

Cooper will be joined by a panel of key ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Attorney General Lord Hermer, and senior representatives from the NCA, Border Force, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will also be present to support efforts to penetrate and dismantle these smuggling networks.

The home secretary emphasized the moral imperative of stopping the gangs profiting from human exploitation and said that the UK would not rest until those responsible are brought to justice.