Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures as he delivers a speech during the opening ceremony on the first day of the Interpol general assembly in Glasgow on Monday. AFP

People smuggling should be considered on par with global terrorism, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Monday, advocating for enhanced international collaboration to address the issue. The Labour party leader, who previously served as the chief state prosecutor in England and Wales, has pledged to dismantle the criminal networks involved in this trade, amid growing concerns over the increasing number of undocumented migrants crossing the Channel from France. UK government statistics reveal that nearly 32,000 undocumented migrants have been intercepted this year after attempting the crossing. At least 60 people have perished—the highest number since records began in 2018.

However, Starmer emphasized that this issue—described as a significant contributor to global insecurity—cannot be resolved by individual nations alone and called for countries to avoid working in isolation. "The world needs to recognize the gravity of this challenge," he said, adding: "People smuggling should be regarded as a global security threat akin to terrorism." He urged for a coordinated effort, stating: "We must pool our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and address the problem at its source." Starmer made these remarks during his address to Interpol's general assembly.

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, which he deemed a "gimmick" and a waste of public funds. Instead, the UK is now working closely with France to identify and target human trafficking networks, collaborating with Germany on the supply of small craft, and with Italy on illicit financing. Additionally, London is seeking to reinstate real-time intelligence sharing with the European Union, which was halted following Brexit in 2020.

Later this week, Starmer is scheduled to attend a summit of the European Political Community in Hungary, where migration and people smuggling are anticipated to be prominent topics on the agenda.

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