Home Secretary will today admit failure to stop Channel crossings is damaging credibility of UK

HOME Secretary Shabana Mahmood will today (October 15 2025) admit that the Government's failure to bring order to our borders is eroding trust in politicians and the credibility of the country.

Mahmood is set to make the damning admission as she hosts the Western Balkans Interior Ministers meeting, bringing together partners from across the region and other European allies, at Lancaster House, off St James's Park.

The meeting will convene countries from the region to secure agreements to go further and faster to tackle illegal migration.

The Home Secretary will urge leaders that only through international co-operation – not looking inwards – can countries secure their borders.

Criminal gangs have turned the Western Balkans into a major transit route for people smuggling and trafficking drugs across borders, so she says these nations are vital partners in fighting illegal migration and crime in the UK.

Almost 22,000 people were smuggled along routes through the region in 2024 alone, filling the pockets of gangs profiteering on human misery and risking lives.

Despite the admission, Mahmood (below) will unveil new actions to boost cooperation between the UK, EU and Border Police forces in the region, allowing them to track people smugglers across borders and put more criminals behind bars.

She will say the UK Government will use the global reach and expertise of the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), working with key European partners to break the business model of organised crime groups and prevent the trafficking of drugs to UK streets.

She will say the UK is playing a leading international role in tackling organised immigration crime, building on recent successes including:

1. France: A new agreement with France means people crossing in small boats can be detained and returned and the first removals have now begun.

2. Germany: A bilateral treaty includes a Joint Action Plan on Irregular Migration and legislative reforms to prosecute smugglers targeting the UK.

3. EU: Cooperation reset includes joint upstream migration initiatives and enhanced intelligence-sharing through Europol.

4. Iraq: A landmark border security statement signalling a shared commitment to tackle OIC and people smuggling through enhanced bilateral cooperation.

Earlier this month at the European Political Community meeting, the UK brought together a number of countries to sign up to the European Political Community statement, committing to supporting one another in their efforts, including a focus on upstream disruption which is crucial in the Western Balkans region.

The Home Secretary will say: “The citizens of each of our countries have a very simple expectation of us.

“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.

“Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response.

“To those who think the answer to the challenges that we face is to turn inwards, or back away from international cooperation, I say that in coming together as we are today we will make all of our borders and our countries stronger.

“I am proud that the UK is leading the charge on a coordinated response to tackle organised crime and take down the vile people-smuggling gangs who put the value of human lives behind their own profits.”

The Home Secretary, alongside Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt, will lead a session on strengthening border security in the Western Balkans to tackle illegal migration and disrupt Organised Immigration Crime groups.

In the afternoon, the Home Secretary will be joined by the Director General of the National Crime Agency, Graeme Biggar, highlighting what more can be done to tackle criminal supply chains operating in the Western Balkans.

There will be a further session on combatting violence against women and girls.

It is the second major international summit the Home Secretary has hosted in just over five weeks in post, having led discussions at the Five Eyes Summit last month.

On Thursday from 9:30am, Mr Hewitt and Rob Jones, NCA Director General (Operations), will give evidence to MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee about Border security and irregular migration.

The committee will question Mr Hewitt, the head of the Home Office team established to tackle organised immigration crime and reduce irregular migration, in the first of a series of scrutiny sessions on how the Government is tackling small boat crossings.

With the number of people crossing from France up 21% from the same period last year, Border Security Commander Mr Hewitt will face questions on the challenges of reducing small boat crossings, the short and long-term efforts to reduce crossings, and engagement with the French authorities – and other nations – on the issue.

MPs are likely to ask about the ‘one in, one out’ deal with France and the progress being made on other measures agreed between the two countries. Mr Hewitt, who is appearing alongside Rob Jones from the National Crime Agency, could also be asked about how measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will help the Border Security Command tackle organised immigration crime.

The Committee is expected to examine efforts to improve joint working across agencies and government departments, as well as exploring the reasons why people want to come to the UK.

Questioning is also likely to cover agreements and treaties with other nations aimed at stopping small boats, the likely impact of the proposed introduction of mandatory digital ID cards on the numbers looking to cross the Channel.

This is the first session of a programme of work in which the Committee will scrutinise the Government’s approach to improving border security and reducing small boat crossings.