This week, I want to talk about criminal smuggling gangs and the steps Labour will take to tackle this issue. The chaos that the Tories have created in the asylum system is outsourcing our border control to criminal smuggling gangs. 

I believe that smashing the smuggler gangs should be seen as important as tackling other major threats like climate change and terrorism.

These smuggling gangs are profiting from a multi-million pound criminal enterprise facilitating channel crossings through exploiting those fleeing persecution and war.

The next Labour government will roll up our sleeves and go after these criminals, with a proper plan for a new Security Agreement with Europe to support better cross border police operations and stronger powers for our enforcement agencies in the UK.

On the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary’s watch, the criminal smuggling gangs’ profits are soaring, convictions for people smuggling plummet, British taxpayer cash is seeping away and UK security is under threat.

With our European Partners Labour will:

1. Seek a new Security Agreement with Europe in government to tackle people smuggling and bring gang-leaders to justice, including real-time data and intelligence-sharing on suspects.

2. A new partnership with Europol that enables the UK to play a leading role in partnerships to combat migrant smuggling across Europe – putting Britain’s police at the heart of pan-European efforts to counter people smuggling, bring gang leaders to justice and seize vessels being used in small boat crossings.

3. More UK police officers posted to Europol to coordinate joint investigations – specialist investigators from Labour’s Cross-Border Police will be stationed in the UK and across Europe focused solely on disrupting people smuggling and organised crime.

In the UK, Labour will introduce a new Serious and Organised Crime Strategy with a specific focus on tackling criminal smuggling gangs, including strengthened civil orders to ensure they can be properly used against smuggling and trafficking.

At present the NCA can apply for Serious Crime Prevention Orders (first introduced by Labour in 2007) to restrict an individual’s movements and operations - either post-conviction, or pre-conviction (by application to the High Court).

Restrictions can be placed on the use of communications devices, bank accounts, travel and the ownership and use of vehicles.

Labour will act to ensure such powers can be used against the highest-harm organised immigration crime offenders, such as the gang-leaders based in the UK orchestrating crossings.