Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned that Britain has lost control of its borders, claiming the situation is eroding public trust in politics and threatening “the credibility of the state itself.”
The remarks, to be delivered at a summit in London with counterparts from the Western Balkans and other European allies, mark one of the strongest statements yet from the UK government on the impact of small boat crossings on public confidence.
Mahmood will stress that Britain can only curb the flow of illegal migration through international cooperation rather than isolationist policies.
“The public rightly expect that their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave,” she will say.
“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.”
The London summit aims to strengthen European collaboration on tackling illegal migration and dismantling organised crime networks responsible for people smuggling. Mahmood will argue that cooperation between nations is vital to addressing the issue.
“Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response,” she will say. “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 Western Balkans region, which includes Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, has become a key transit route for smugglers trafficking both people and drugs across Europe. The Home Office said around 22,000 people were smuggled through the region in 2024 alone.
The summit will include discussions on cracking down on these criminal networks through enhanced cooperation between British and European border authorities. Director General of the National Crime Agency, Graeme Biggar, will attend to discuss ongoing efforts to disrupt smuggling supply chains. A dedicated session on combating violence against women and girls is also expected.
However, the opposition Conservatives criticised Mahmood’s remarks, accusing Labour of hypocrisy. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The first nine months of this year have been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel.
The government is accommodating more illegal immigrants in hotels than at the election, and have only returned a paltry 26 to France – over a time period when 14,000 have arrived. This is clearly no deterrent. The Conservatives would leave the ECHR, which will enable us to remove all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. Then the crossings would soon stop.”
Mahmood’s comments come as the UK faces growing pressure to regain control of its borders while maintaining humanitarian standards and international cooperation with European allies.
