Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Islamabad (News International / Pakistan News - 10th December, 2024 ) Britain and Germany on Monday released details of a joint action plan. Germany said it would further tighten its laws. Under the new laws, migrant smuggling will be clearly criminalized in the UK. The development comes after a BBC investigation revealed human trafficking through the English Channel from the German city of Essen.
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The announcement was made ahead of a meeting of the ‘Black Group’. The meeting will be attended by ministers from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Representatives from organizations such as the European Commission and Europol will also take part in the discussion.
The 2025 action plan will be finalized at this meeting.
German Interior Minister Nancy Pfizer and her British counterpart Yvette Cooper signed a joint agreement on Monday aimed at combating the smuggling of migrants to the UK in small rubber boats via the English Channel.
Earlier this year, a long-running undercover investigation by the BBC revealed its alleged links to human trafficking in the western German city of Essen and across the English Channel.
What did the German and British ministers say?
The British Home Office said in a statement that the Berlin government had committed to “clarifying its law to facilitate the prevention of migrant smuggling by making it a criminal offence.”
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“This will help German prosecutors break up smuggling networks and stop the supply of small boats,” said Yvette Cooper.
The two countries will also work together to thwart new tactics by smugglers.”
“Organized crime groups have long been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe and putting thousands of lives at risk,” Cooper added.
German Interior Minister Nancy Pfizer said many of the smuggling crimes are planned in Germany.
“These organized crime groups intimidate people and send them across the English Channel in boats. This puts human lives at risk. Now these smugglers will face a tough challenge,” she said.
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“We are now stepping up our joint action to combat the brutal activities of international smugglers,” Pfizer said.
“More than 70 people have lost their lives as of December 1 this year due to human trafficking through the English Channel. In 2024, nearly 34,000 migrants arrived in the UK in precarious makeshift boats. The government has described it as a major threat, on a par with terrorism.
In recent years, Europe has taken a number of steps to tackle human trafficking.
In 2022, European police dismantled a major Vietnamese gang of smugglers.
Comprehensive cooperation with Europe
The upcoming meeting of the ‘Black Group’ will discuss comprehensive measures against smuggling. All countries agree to block smuggling routes and dismantle organised crime networks.
European agencies such as Frontex and Europol will also attend the meeting. The main topic of discussion will be the exchange of intelligence and the prevention of illegal financial transactions.
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The British Home Office has said that the 'Black Group' will focus on dismantling the smugglers' business model and bringing criminals to justice.
In addition, measures will be taken to remove trafficking-related content on social media and control smuggling routes.
According to human rights activists, the agreement is a major step in tackling illegal migration and people smuggling networks. Although the solutions to these problems are complex, the partnership between the UK and Germany shows that both countries are committed to rooting out these crimes and saving lives.
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