UK police to ‘help’ crackdown on people trafficking gangs in North Africa
National Crime Agency officers would work alongside police forces in countries in the region, it has been reported
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.UK police will be tasked with helping security forces break up people-smuggling gangs in North African countries, it has been reported.
National Crime Agency (NCA) officers are set to join nations in the region in their efforts to stop the people traffickers.
According to The Times, the Italian Government has predicted up to 400,000 migrants will seek to travel to Europe through Italy this summer.
Record numbers of people crossed the English Channel last year in small boats.
Less than 7,000 have been detected making the journey so far in 2023, according to latest Home Office figures.
The report comes as immigration minister Robert Jenrick travels to North Africa and Europe in the coming week to discuss with international partners “the shared global challenge of organised immigration crime”.
The NCA and the Home Office have been contacted for comment.
Mr Jenrick will visit Algeria, Tunisia, Italy and France for a series of engagements as the Home Office launches an ad campaign aimed at deterring Albanian nationals from arriving in the UK in small boats.
The publicity drive, which will run on Facebook and Instagram from next week, will send the message that people “face being detained and removed” if they make the journey.
The campaign will also aim to “bust the myths of organised crime gangs” who use social media to encourage people to take dangerous routes to the UK, the Home Office said.
A spokesman said: “Evil criminal gangs do not care about the safety of the people they smuggle across the Channel and have no qualms about pedalling lies online – even putting children at risk.
Opposition critics and charities have branded the campaign a “gimmick”, with Labour accusing the Government of “tinkering at the edges” of an asylum system “in chaos”.
The Home Office would not say how much the publicity drive is expected to cost.
The Government’s Illegal Migration Bill aims to send asylum seekers who arrive in Britain via unauthorised routes back home or to a third country such as Rwanda.
Ministers also hope the legislation will cut the daily £5.5 million cost of housing migrants who make it to the UK.
The Bill, currently in the House of Lords, has been attacked by critics including the Archbishop of Canterbury who argue that it is both unworkable and “morally unacceptable”.