Starmer names new border chief as he jets to Italy for small boat disaster talks

Keir Starmer has appointed a new boss to lead the UK’s Border Security Command as he holds talks in Italy on cracking down on illegal migration.

Ex-police chief Martin Hewitt will head up the elite unit tasked with smashing smuggling gangs trafficking asylum seekers across the Channel. The new commander will work with intelligence chiefs, police, immigration enforcement, Border Force and the National Crime Agency to tackle the small boats crisis.

Legislation is being drawn up to hand the unit new counter terror-style powers to disrupt organised crime. It comes as eight people died off the coast of Ambleteuse in northern France overnight while trying to make the perilous crossing to Britain, according to French media.

The PM will meet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday to discuss Italy’s blueprint for tackling the small boats crisis. Labour scrapped the controversial Tory Rwanda deportation scheme after winning the election, shifting its focus to a crackdown on criminal gangs engaged in people smuggling.

Italy has slashed the numbers of people arriving illegally on its shores by 60% over the past year. It is one of the main entry points for migrants seeking asylum in Europe but deals with Tunisia and Libya have been credited with driving down arrivals. However humanitarian groups have accused Italy of turning a blind eye to the treatment of asylum seekers.

Mr Starmer has also signalled he is interested in Italy’s plan to send people to Albania to have their asylum claims processed. The process, known as “offshoring”, is different to the Rwanda plan which was designed to deport migrants without any right to return to the UK.

Ahead of the talks, Mr Starmer said: “No more gimmicks. This Government will tackle the smuggling gangs who trade the lives of men, women and children across borders.

“Martin Hewitt’s unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.” Mr Hewitt is expected to join the PM on his visit to Italy, where they will tour a migration centre and discuss Italian tactics in combating vile people smuggling.

Mr Hewitt, a former chair of the National Police Chiefs Council who also served in the British Army, said: “For too long, the criminal gangs who smuggle people through Europe have abused our borders in the name of profit, and they are responsible for the deaths of scores of vulnerable, innocent people. We will dismantle them, bring them to justice and prevent them from using exploitation and deceit to fill their pockets.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Dangerous criminal smuggling gangs have been making millions out of small boat crossings, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk, and getting away with it for far too long.

“Under this Government we have taken early action against the smuggler gangs including increasing British officers stationed at Europol and commencing recruitment of 100 specialist investigators to go after these criminal networks and their supply chains, including seizing boats and engines.

“With the Border Security Command we can go much further – building new law enforcement partnerships across Europe and getting new powers into place, to go after the gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings and save lives.”

The visit follows a flurry of trips to Europe since the PM entered No10 as he seeks to “reset the relationship” with EU leaders after years of Tory Brexit wars, No10 said.