UK Flags Concerns About Migration from North Africa as New Border Bill is Introduced
Officials have underscored the crucial role Tunisia plays in dismantling smuggling networks and preventing illegal migration at its source.
The Foreign Office has expressed concerns about illegal immigration from North and North-East Africa as the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill was introduced in Parliament.
On Friday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy revealed a new package of up to £5 million for education programs in Tunisia.
The initiative aims to provide potential migrants with skills, enhancing their employability in their home country and discouraging illegal small boat crossings to the UK.
An additional £1 million will aid migrants without legal status in Tunisia, helping them return and reintegrate into their home countries.
Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt highlighted Tunisia’s “essential role” in combating organized crime and dismantling people smuggling networks. The objective is to “address the problem at its source,” dissuading migrants from North Africa and other regions from attempting perilous journeys.
Sudan
The initiatives in Tunisia are part of the UK’s broader efforts to collaborate with international partners to reduce migration. This follows Lammy’s recent statements on Sudan, a growing source of irregular migration to the UK, with numbers increasing by 16 percent last year.
Clashes between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, plunging the African nation into crisis.
“Unscrupulous smuggling gangs are seeking to profit from the misery in places such as Sudan and the DRC, and the longer these wars persist, the more widespread their ripple effects,” Lammy said. He noted that neighboring countries like Chad are managing the crisis but cautioned that escalation could result in broader regional instability.
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Critics have urged the UK to cease arms sales to the UAE, citing its alleged role in worsening the Sudanese conflict. Independent MP Zarah Sultana called on Lammy to halt weapon sales, stating:
“These arms and supplies have reportedly been disguised as humanitarian aid, raising serious concerns about the UAE’s role in exacerbating conflict and suffering in Sudan. The UAE is one of the UK’s largest arms buyers, with billions of pounds worth of defense exports licensed in recent years.”
Global Cooperation
The UK is also enhancing collaborations with other international partners to combat organized immigration crime.
Britain’s agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo, signed in November, aim to support efforts to crack down on organized immigration crime. The agreements, building on the existing partnership between the UK and Albania, will strengthen intelligence sharing to intercept the gangs as they transport vulnerable people through the Western Balkans.
Smuggling networks operating out of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Europe, are behind illegal migration and trafficking, including across the Channel to the UK.
Britain and Iraq have agreed to collaborate on the returns of illegal immigrants arriving in Britain.
Immigration Bill
The Foreign Office Tunisia announcements come a day after the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill was introduced to Parliament on Thursday.
It outlines measures to address illegal migration, including a new offense for endangering another life during a sea crossing to the UK, with a five-year jail term sentence. Under the bill, individuals selling and handling boat parts suspected of being used in migrant Channel crossings could face up to 14 years in prison.
Other measures include modernization of biometric checks overseas to better identify migrants entering the UK and preventing those with criminal records.
Home Office figures indicate that 36,816 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year, a 25 percent increase from 2023.
The Refugee Council has stated that government enforcement measures, including intensified efforts to disrupt smuggling gangs, have made Channel crossings even more hazardous. It has characterized 2024 as the “deadliest” year on record for Channel crossings and reported 69 deaths, including several babies and children.
The organization has called for a comprehensive approach that combines enforcement with the establishment of safe and legal routes for immigrants.
PA Media contributed to this report.
