Keir Starmer is set to announce a hard-line approach against people-smuggling networks at the Interpol meeting in Glasgow (which starts on 11/04/24). The UK prime-minister wants to double border security funding from 75 mil to 150 mil pounds - thats almost 200 million in US dollars
The new plan includes adding one-hundred specialist investigators and getting better tech for border control. Starmer thinks its time to fight smuggling groups just like we fight terror networks; this means more team-work between different countries police forces and new powers for law-enforcement
The channel crossing problem isnt getting better: more than 31k people made the dangerous trip this year (which is higher than last year but lower than 2022). The situation is super-bad this year with 56 people losing their lives while trying to cross - its the worst death count since these crossings started getting big back in 2018
- Got rid of the Rwanda plan from previous government
- Met with Italian leader Meloni about two months ago
- Praised Italys work on stopping boat arrivals
- Wants more global police cooperation
The four-day Interpol meeting in Scotland will also see Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil take over as new boss of the organization (replacing Jurgen Stock from Germany). All 196 member-states sent their top cops and officials to talk about fighting global crime