The UK is hosting a two-day international meeting to tackle what it calls the global threat of illegal migration. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to urge the summit, which will welcome representatives from more than 40 countries, to disrupt the “vile trade” of people-smuggling gangs and avoid pitting “nations against one another”. The talks, which begin on Monday and are seen as the first of their kind, will aim to deliver “concrete outcomes” and increase international cooperation. Immigration is seen as a key issue for the government politically, with both the Conservatives and Reform UK accusing Labour of failing to get a grip on the issue. Ahead of the summit, the Home Office announced that £33m would be spent to disrupt people-smuggling networks and boost prosecutions. Officials from Vietnam, Albania, and Iraq – countries from which many migrants have travelled to the UK – will attend the summit at London’s Lancaster House, alongside French, Chinese, and US representatives. Delegations from the Kurdish Regional Government, Interpol, and social media companies, including Meta, X, and TikTok, are also involved in discussions on how to disrupt a criminal trade worth an estimated $10 billion (£7.7 billion) a year. More than 6,000 people have crossed the Channel so far in 2025, making it a record start to a year for small boat arrivals.
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