In London today, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser co-hosted the fourth meeting of the Calais Group on countering migrant smuggling. Also taking part in the meeting were French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, Belgium’s Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden and State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, and Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber, as well as representatives of the European Commission, Europol and Frontex.

The Calais Group agreed on five priorities to further the fight against international migrant smuggling. These include more operational cooperation and coordinated investigations, including those conducted together with Europol; greater research and analysis of illicit finance used by criminal migrant smuggling gangs; a better overview of movements along all migration routes; information campaigns to increase refugees’ awareness of the dangers of migrant smuggling; and joint action to counter social media communication by migrant smuggling gangs.

Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser said: "We had very good talks during the Calais Group meeting in London today. We want to stop the brutal business of migrant smugglers who have no regard for human life. These are dangerous and often armed organised crime groups. Our goal is to keep them from exploiting desperate people and sending them across the English Channel in unsafe inflatable boats.

“We set clear priorities today: We will further turn up the pressure of investigations and intensify our information-sharing in order to smash the supply chains behind the smuggling. We will increase our investigations of illicit finance in order to identify the criminals behind these operations. We must publish more urgent warnings, particularly using social media, about the danger of putting one’s life in the hands of criminal smuggling gangs. And we must put pressure on internet platforms to stop allowing smugglers to advertise their criminal services."

The day before the Calais Group meeting, Federal Minister Faeser and Home Secretary Cooper signed the UK–Germany Joint Action Plan on Irregular Migration. This plan contains bilateral measures to strengthen the two countries’ partnership in the fight against migrant smuggling.

The number of migrants smuggled across the English Channel from France to the UK in unseaworthy inflatable boats has been rising since 2018. Many of these smuggling operations are planned at least partially in Germany. In 2024 alone, at least 72 people have died on these perilous sea journeys.

Just last week, German authorities working with French and British authorities dealt a major international blow to migrant smuggling gangs. Germany’s Federal Police contributed nearly 500 officers to the operation. The raids and arrests succeeded thanks to international cooperation with Europol, Eurojust and European partners.

You can download the Calais Group Priority Plan on Countering Migrant Smuggling here:

www.bmi.bund.de/calais-group_en