Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday that Britain will intensify efforts to target criminal networks in the Western Balkans that enable illegal migration, following recent announcements of major reforms to cut legal migration.
Losing ground in the polls to Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform Party, Starmer is under pressure to show he can control both legal and illegal immigration, and that on the latter his plan to target people smuggling gangs is working.
Starmer’s Albania Visit
In his first official visit to Albania, Starmer will announce measures to stop Albanian nationals from returning to Britain after they have been deported and do more to eliminate money laundering between the two countries. He will donate two forgery detection machines to catch those using fake passports.
He will also announce the expansion of a joint migration task force to add North Macedonia and Montenegro. The group already includes Albania and Kosovo.
In 2022 Albanians made up the largest group heading to Britain on small boats, but the number has since fallen sharply, in part due to a deportation deal agreed by the previous Conservative government.
On legal migration – which makes up the vast majority of those coming to Britain – Starmer promised on Monday to cut net arrivals significantly, saying the country risked becoming “an island of strangers” without tougher rules.
Britain-Germany Deal
Meanwhile, Britain and Germany will jointly develop a long-range “deep precision strike” weapon exceeding 2,000 km, boosting European defense ties.
The project builds on a commitment made last year to develop new weapons, when both countries signed a bilateral defence pact and stressed the need for Europe to be able to defend itself against any escalation of the war in Ukraine.
British defence minister John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius will announce the new long-range weapon project at a meeting in Berlin.
“In a more dangerous world, NATO and European allies stand united,” Healey said in a statement.
“This partnership is helping us make defence an engine for growth – creating jobs, boosting skills, and driving investment across the UK and Germany.”
The statement did not provide further details on the project’s timeline or budget.
Ministers are also expected to discuss joint procurement of torpedoes for maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and announce a deal for Germany’s purchase of British-made military bridges, the statement said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
