Starmer and Meloni plan reform of European police forces to tackle illegal migration – DNyuz

Sir Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni plan to focus EU police forces on tackling illegal migration, The Telegraph can reveal.

Europol staff are currently dealing with everything from terrorism to drug trafficking, but the two leaders want the agency to prioritise tackling people smugglers.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni has proposed a complete reorganisation of Europol to focus on illegal migration, and has also proposed creating a special mission for Europol to deal with this issue.

Sir Keir is said to have voiced his support for the proposal when the two met last month and floated the idea of ​​UK and Europol officers carrying out joint operations.

The plan outlines what the government plans to do about immigration after the riots.

On Sunday, 703 migrants crossed the Channel, the highest number ever since Sir Keir entered No. 10 on July 5.

The prime minister’s spokesman insisted there was no link between the figures and the government’s cancellation of Rwanda’s deportation programme. But they admitted the public should brace for an “increase” in the number of people arriving in small boats this summer.

Downing Street said Sir Keir had no plans to make a speech on immigration and warned against mixing legitimate concerns about immigration with the actual riots.

The spokesman said: “The Prime Minister indicated last week that there are legitimate concerns about immigration and that is why we are taking action to tackle the gangs responsible for this.

“But again, it’s really important not to lump these issues together and give people legitimacy when there is absolutely no excuse or world in which this can be described as legitimate protest.”

Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister who is running for the Conservative Party leadership, will call for a national debate on the causes of the riots in a speech on Tuesday.

He will say that politicians and authorities must no longer conceal “the identity and motives of the perpetrators” of extreme violence.

Ms Meloni built a close working relationship with Rishi Sunak, Mr Starmer’s predecessor. As prime minister, Mr Sunak and Ms Meloni sought to emphasise the need for a tougher, joined-up stance on migration among European leaders.

Sir Keir and Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, visited Europol, based in The Hague, last September for talks on tackling the gangs behind people smuggling. Britain is no longer a member of the agency, having left the EU, but cooperates with it.

Ms Cooper has already announced a 50 per cent increase in the number of officers from the UK’s National Crime Agency who would be seconded to Europol. She also spoke to Catherine De Bolle, the Executive Director of Europol, shortly after joining the Home Office, in a sign of the importance attached to working with Europol.

Sir Keir wants to ‘reset’ the UK’s wider relationship with the EU and any agreement on a new mandate for Europol is likely to need the support of a majority of EU member states.

Europol, which has more than 1,400 staff, cannot initiate investigations, but instead supports investigations initiated by EU member states. It also cannot arrest EU citizens.

Since Britain left the EU, there has been a debate about how much Europol data the UK should be able to access.

A Home Secretary spokesman said: “Criminal gangs are undermining our border security and putting lives at risk, as we have tragically seen again this week in the Channel.

“A whole criminal industry has been allowed to establish itself across our borders and through sophisticated criminal networks across Europe and beyond. It is appalling that they have gotten away with it for so long.

“We are determined to launch major new operations to take down the gangs, the boats and the money.”

The spokesperson added: “Our Border Security Command will coordinate the efforts of our intelligence services, Immigration and Enforcement and Border Force, police and National Crime Agency to enhance our border security, with new powers being given and we are already expanding our partnership with Europol to plan new operations across the continent.

“The Conservative government has never had a comprehensive plan to tackle gangs and they have been getting away with it for too long. That is now changing.”

An Italian government source told The Telegraph the discussion focused on “ways to further increase Europol’s effectiveness in the fight against human trafficking”, including “strengthening cooperation with third countries” such as the UK.

The story Starmer and Meloni plan reform of European police forces to tackle illegal migration first appeared on The Telegraph.