Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to warn that the failure to bring order to European borders is eroding trust in politicians and the concept of nation states. Speaking at a summit of interior ministers in London on Tuesday, she will argue that international cooperation is essential to curb irregular migration.
Mahmood will host counterparts from the western Balkans and other European allies to discuss new deals to tackle illegal migration. She is expected to say: 'The public rightly expect that their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave. Today, in this country, and I know in many if not all of yours, that is not the case. And the failure to bring order to our borders is eroding trust not just in us as political leaders … but in the credibility of the state itself.'
The Home Secretary is also expected to criticise Reform UK's Nigel Farage, accusing his party of wanting to 'turn inwards' and seek solutions without international aid. 'Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response,' she will say. 'To those who think the answer is to turn inwards … I say that in coming together we will make all of our borders and our countries stronger.'
The western Balkans region has become a major transit route for people smugglers and drug traffickers. According to the Home Office, about 22,000 people were smuggled by gangs along routes through the region in 2024. The summit will include discussions on cracking down on these gangs through new cooperation between Britain, Europe, and local border police forces.
Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, will join the gathering to discuss disrupting gang supply chains. A session on combating violence against women and girls is also scheduled. The Conservatives criticised Mahmood's warning, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp stating that the first nine months of this year were the worst in history for illegal Channel crossings, and reiterating a pledge to leave the European Convention on Human Rights to enable swift removals.
