Rishi Sunak spoke before the meeting of the European Political Community in Moldova Photo: Rory Arnold/10 Downing Street
Defending borders Fighting illegal Migration should be Europe's top priority, Rishi Sunak told European leaders.
Speaking before the summit, the Prime Minister warned that there was an «unprecedented» threat to the continent's borders from organized immigration crime, with a 64% increase in the number of migrants crossing the European Union's borders in the past year.
He announced a new deal with Bulgaria to root out criminal gangs that use the country as a route for smuggling migrants from Asia and the Middle East to Western Europe and the UK.
Mr Sunak also said that negotiations are starting with Moldova for a new an agreement allowing the return of migrants and foreign criminals to an Eastern European state.
He also confirmed that a similar deal with Georgia has come into effect. This followed return agreements with Albania, Serbia, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.
Mr Sunak addressed a meeting in Moldova of the European Political Community, a group of nearly 50 countries that includes EU member states and non-EU countries from the continent.
The prime minister said the UK would be «at the center» of a global effort to prevent small boats from crossing the English Channel. face unprecedented threats on our borders. From [Vladimir] Putin's utter contempt for the sovereignty of other countries, to the rise of organized immigration crime on our continent.
“We cannot solve these problems without the close cooperation of European governments and institutions. At every meeting, every summit, every international meeting like this, the security of our borders must be on the agenda.
«The UK will be at the center of this international effort to stop ships and protect our national security.»
This was part of an effort to address upstream migration as Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick made a five-day tour of North Africa and Europe, to intensify cooperation with other countries, including Italy, Algeria and Tunisia.
Bulgaria, located at the crossroads of migration routes from the eastern Mediterranean and the western Balkans, has already seen a 40 percent increase in the number of illegal migrants caught trying to enter from Turkey this year – 11,000.
Rishi's new measures to combat illegal migration < p>The country has become a key transit point for migrants who cross on small boats to the UK. The number of Afghans crossing the English Channel more than tripled to 8,429 in the year to March.
Bulgaria is also being used to bring small boats and engines from Turkey to northern France to cross the border.
The new partnership announced by Mr. Sunak aims to increase intelligence sharing and police cooperation. -an operation designed to help Bulgaria «destroy the business model» of gangs that smuggle people «who profit from human suffering», according to number 10.
In April, as a result of a joint operation with Bulgaria, the Metropolitan Police arrested six people who took women to the UK. They also stopped the activities of an organized crime group that sent money from the UK hidden in trucks to Turkey.
Deals with Moldova and Georgia follow similar agreements with Albania, where the UK has returned 1,000 illegal migrants since November. Although only 17 illegal entries have been registered from Moldova since 2018, there were 2046 from Georgia.
However, ministers have yet to reach agreements with any major EU countries to allow the return of migrants who have passed through their countries before arriving in the UK.
1205 UK Total Net Migration
Last week's data showed that only 23 migrants left. up to 22,000 people whose claims were deemed ineligible because they entered the UK after passing through a safe third country in Europe have been returned since 2021.
Mr Sunak will point to the «devastating humanitarian impact» of illegal migration and call on all countries to address the issue in a «legitimate and compassionate» manner, Downing Street said.
He will take advantage of a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to discuss the potential for countries to work together to «keep the momentum of international action» .
He will also highlight the importance of cracking down on criminal gangs at a roundtable event with Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland, while emphasizing the need to support both Moldova and neighboring Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
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