Keir Starmer publicizes funding enhance to deal with small boats and says world should ‘get up’

Keir Starmer will today announce millions of pounds will be spent on a clampdown on smugglers fuelling the small boats crisis.

In a speech to the international policing organisation Interpol, the PM will say world leaders must “wake up to the severity of this challenge”. He will unveil a £150million funding pot to tackle organised immigration crime.

Addressing Interpol’s general assembly, which is being held in the UK for the first time in over 50 years, he will say: “The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders.

“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the channel.”

But human rights group last night warned that enforcement alone won’t stop the traffickers – calling for safe and legal routes for asylum routes to be expanded.

The PM will tell delegates from 196 nations in Glasgow: “This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives.” He will pledge to take a counter terrorism-style approach to tackling small boats, with the new funding also covering state-of-the-art technology and information centres.

There will also be more enforcement and intelligence resourcing, he will say. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Criminal smuggler gangs profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk and they have been getting away with it for far too long.

“Our new Border Security Command, with the investment set out today, will mean a huge step change in the way we target these criminal gangs.”

The Interpol Conference, being held this week in Glasgow, will see delegates from policing organisations across the globe discuss ways to tackle international crime. There will be 300 more staff for the new Border Security Command, as well as 100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers for the National Crime Agency (NCA).

These will be dedicated to tackling criminals responsible for people smuggling. Officers will also work with social media firms and internet providers to remove adverts and information which encourage illegal migration.

But Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “The government has a vital role to play in tackling cross-border organised crime and maintaining national security.

“But it must not lose sight of its equally important role ensuring the UK provides sanctuary for those fleeing persecution and violence.” He continued: “The government must recognise that enforcement measures alone will not end this horrific trade. Without safe and legal routes for refugees, people in desperate situations are left with no alternative but to turn to dangerous journeys controlled by smugglers.

“Expanding safe routes should be an integral part of any strategy to reduce crossings. The government must balance strong action against criminal networks with its commitment to uphold international rules that provide safety to those who need it most.”