An aerial photograph captured from a French Police Aux Frontieres (PAF) aircraft reveals migrants aboard a smuggling dinghy attempting to traverse the English Channel from a beach near Le Touquet, northern France, en route to Britain. AFP File Photo

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Downing Street office announced on Monday that Britain will double its £75 million ($97 million) allocation to combat criminal people smuggling gangs. The supplementary funding will amount to £150 million over two years, supporting Starmer's new Border Security Command, a key component of his strategy to reduce the influx of undocumented migrants arriving in Britain via small boats.

This announcement comes as Starmer's new Labour government, much like its Conservative predecessor, grapples with reducing these numbers, despite his pre-election vow to 'smash' the criminal networks responsible. In a speech to the Interpol general assembly in Glasgow later on Monday, Starmer is anticipated to emphasize the 'world's need to recognize the gravity of this challenge'.

Undocumented migration, particularly via the Channel from northern France, was a significant issue during the July elections that saw Starmer's Labour party ascend to power. One of Starmer's initial actions as prime minister was to scrap the previous Conservative government's contentious plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

'I was elected to ensure security for the British people, and robust borders are part of that. But security doesn't end at our borders,' he is expected to say. 'There's nothing progressive about ignoring the deaths of men, women, and children in the (English) Channel.'

Starmer's administration also plans to enact legislation granting border security forces 'enhanced' powers, likely involving the expansion of counter-terrorism tactics to address people smuggling. 'This is a despicable trade that must be eradicated—wherever it exists. We're applying our proven counter-terrorism approach to these gangs, through our new Border Security Command,' he will state.

According to the latest provisional statistics, nearly 32,000 undocumented migrants have reached Britain this year after crossing the Channel in small boats. At least 60 individuals have perished in the attempt. Later this week, Starmer is scheduled to participate in a summit of the European Political Community in Hungary, where migration and people smuggling are expected to be prominent topics on the agenda.

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