British border security officers have been deployed to the Balkans for the first time as part of efforts to curb the flow of migrants being smuggled into the UK. The officers are working with European border agency Frontex to target people-smuggling gangs, the Home Office has confirmed.
The UK is also training border guards in the Western Balkans to use British drones and biometric technologies to track migrants. Additionally, British law enforcement is sharing techniques to identify visa and passport fraud to prevent illegal movements, according to the Home Office.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood hosted counterparts from the Western Balkans and other European allies at a London summit aimed at tackling illegal migration. She stated: “I have instructed UK law enforcement to explore all options including deploying operations in the West Balkans to tackle illegal migration routes. I have pledged to do whatever it takes to secure our borders.”
Some 22,000 people were smuggled by gangs along routes through the Western Balkans last year, the Home Office said. The region, comprising North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, has become increasingly important in efforts to tackle illegal migration across Europe.
UK Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt has pledged to provide night vision goggles and drones to police in the Balkans to help crack down on people-smuggling gangs. The pledge followed his hosting of the Balkans Border Police Chiefs’ Forum in Sarajevo last week.
Next week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to host a leaders’ summit with Western Balkan countries to agree further measures to reduce the number of migrants arriving illegally in the UK.
