New Home Secretary Yvette Cooper launches Border Security Command

The decision will strengthen Britain’s border security and smash the criminal smuggling gangs who are making millions out of small boat crossings.

Rapid recruitment for an exceptional leader who’s used to working in complex and challenging environments, for example, at senior levels of policing, intelligence or the military has been set in motion, with the new recruit expected to take up their post in the coming weeks.

Reporting directly to the Home Secretary, the Border Security Commander will provide strategic direction to work across agencies, drawing together the work of the National Crime Agency, intelligence agencies, police, immigration enforcement and Border Force in order to better protect the nation’s borders and go after the smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings.

Core team

Following the Home Secretary’s instruction, a core team in the Home Office is establishing the remit, governance and strategic direction of the new Border Security Command. Early legislation is being prepared to introduce new counter-terrorism style powers and stronger measures designed to tackle organised immigration crime.

Yvette Cooper has also commissioned a bespoke investigation from the Home Office and the National Crime Agency into the latest routes, methods and tactics used by people smuggling gangs across Europe in order to inform a major law enforcement drive over the coming months.

Border Security Command will draw on substantial additional resources, with work to bring in more investigators, experts and analysts who’ll tackle organised immigration crime having already begun.

A significant number of these professionals will be based across Europe, working with Europol and European police forces to disrupt the activity of the criminal smuggling gangs and ensure those profiting from people smuggling are brought to justice.

Breaking the business model

In a call to Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, the Home Secretary has stressed the need to break the business model of the criminal smuggling gangs, going after their ability to communicate, move people across Europe and realise a profit for doing so.

Yvette Cooper commented: “Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions out of small boat crossings, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. We cannot carry on like this. We need to tackle the root cause of the problem, track these dangerous criminals and bring them to justice.”

Cooper continued: “The Border Security Command will be a major step change in UK enforcement efforts designed to tackle organised immigration crime, drawing on substantial resource to work across Europe and beyond with a view towards disrupting the trafficking networks and co-ordinating with prosecutors in Europe to deliver justice.”

In conclusion, Cooper stated: “Work is underway to bring in a Border Security Commander to lead this work and we’ve already begun recruitment on additional capacity in the National Crime Agency.”