Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has signed a new pact with Greece which will see the UK help authorities deal with smuggling gangs and the supply of small boats used for Channel crossings

A new migration pact between the UK and Greece has been hailed as a breakthrough in the battle against people trafficking.

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Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper signed the agreement in Athens – saying the move would help tackle smuggling gangs. The UK will provide training to Greek authorities in disrupting the supply of small boats used for dangerous Channel crossings.

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The Government is also ramping up work in North Africa to help prevent dangerous crossings into Europe. Ms Cooper announced new funding for projects in Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia aimed at diverting thousands of potential migrants into jobs closer to home.

The Foreign Secretary, who met with her Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis, said: “Illegal and dangerous boat crossings are undermining border security in both the Channel and the Mediterranean. Tackling and preventing illegal migration and going after the multimillion-pound criminal smuggler gangs is a top priority for both the UK and Greece. Organised immigration crime is a global threat – so we are taking a whole government approach.

 

“Here in the Foreign Office we are increasing our work with other countries to tackle this issue at every stage of the people smuggling routes into Europe.”

Recent collaboration between Greek authorities and the National Crime Agency (NCA) has included successfully targeting an Athens-based network involved in migrant smuggling and document fraud. Officers made eight arrests and raided a travel agency used by the main suspect, dismantling a fully equipped forgery lab and seizing hundreds of counterfeit documents, passport components, biometric data sets and forgery equipment.

Funding of £1.5million will support development projects in North Africa as part of the North Africa Migration and Development (NAMAD) programme. This has supported more than 17,000 people with training and health and social support.