UK working with Libyan police to halt migrant trafficking gangs

Ministers and crime agencies to discuss ways to increase international law enforcement in bid to stop people-trafficking gangs

Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to reach Britain on September 4 crowd on to an inflatable dinghy. Reuters

The UK Home Office is working closely with police in Libya to target gangs trafficking migrants towards Europe, with raids on warehouses where refugees are housed, often in appalling conditions.

In addition, UK National Crime Agency (NCA) has increased the number of officers based at Europol who will work on organised immigration crime by 50 per cent.

As one of the UK's first steps to strengthen international law enforcement and partnership arrangements, NCA officers have also been placed in Austria and Romania, with more also assigned to South East Asia, in countries where gangs are advertising Channel crossings.

Migrants dead after boat 'ripped open' in English Channel – in pictures

Firefighters and Civil Protection agents stand next to bags containing the bodies of migrants who died after the sinking of a migrant boat attempting to cross the English Channel to England, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France. AFP

The boat was reportedly carrying about 70 migrants and the maritime prefecture for the area said the vessel got into difficulty off Gris-Nez point, on Tuesday morning. AFP

Firefighters carry an injured migrant on a stretcher in Boulogne-sur-Mer. AFP

Emergency services at the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer. AP

French rescue forces at the scene. Reuters

“Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs," Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said. “The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe.

"But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners. At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.”

Ms Cooper's comments come ahead of an operational meeting in London, where she will be joined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the NCA, Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will also attend the meeting, which will set out the progress being made on increased enforcement activity aimed at disrupting, intercepting and destroying the criminal network moving people, boats and engines into Europe and across the continent to the French coastline.

At the meeting, ministers and law enforcement partners will examine the findings from the analysis commissioned by Ms Cooper on the operational capabilities of the criminal smuggling gangs. Discussions will focus on collaboration with European enforcement agencies, including Europol, and plans will be put forward to rapidly enhance this through the UK government’s new Border Security Command in the coming months.

NCA director general Graeme Biggar will highlight how close co-operation with the Bulgarian authorities and an established NCA presence in that critical transit country has led to more than 40 small boats and engines being seized in recent weeks. This material, now removed from the smuggling supply chain, could have enabled up to 2,400 people to attempt the deadly crossing.

“People smuggling puts lives in mortal danger," Mr Biggar said. “As well as arresting suspects and seeing our investigations lead to convictions and sentences, we’re operating around the world to disrupt the perpetrators.

"This includes helping seize more than 410 small boats and engines since last spring, preventing thousands of crossings. Tackling the callous criminals behind organised immigration crime is one of the NCA’s highest priorities. We continue to expand our activity to deliver ever greater impacts against the threat," he added.

The deaths of migrants off the French coast on September 3 highlights the increasingly extreme measures the gangs are willing to contemplate, as more people are crammed into less seaworthy vessels. It has been reported that most of those who died were women and children.

Intelligence reveals smugglers have also increased the price they charge for migrants to cross the Channel, including charging for children to get into boats, as the business model comes under pressure from UK and partner law enforcement.