Positive action to stop the boats: a new agreement with Turkey

Today the British and Turkish governments announced a new agreement to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling gangs and the supply of small boats, as we work with our international partners to stop the boats. 

  • Hundreds of unseaworthy small boats and engines are transported through Europe each year for the purpose of illegal migration and Turkey has been identified as a key hub for smuggling gangs, with vessels used to cross the Channel manufactured there.
  • That is why we have entered a new agreement with Turkey to share more intelligence on the gangs known to be operating across Europe. We will also establish new headquarters in Turkey so that National Crime Agency and Home Office intelligence personnel will work alongside their Turkish counterparts for the first time.
  • Each consignment is a death trap; each seizure is an opportunity to save lives, end the human misery, and stop illegal migrants reaching our shores – we will continue our work to deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority to stop the boats.
I am pleased to see that the UK and Turkey have signed this agreement to clamp down on people smuggling.

The criminal gangs who put people onto unsafe boats must be stopped because they are putting lives at risk, We need to work with as many other countries as possible to put the members of the gangs in prison and disrupt their activities in order to save lives.

There ARE safe and legal routes into Britain for genuine asylum seekers and those who have skills we need - net legal immigration was over 600,000 last year and we have taken half a million genuine refugees in the last few years. We need more deals like this.

The recent agreement with Albania dramatically reduced the flows of people crossing the channel illegally from that country and will have saved lives: I hope the agreement with Turkey is equally successful and if it is this too will save lives. 



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