Starmer to pledge fresh focus on border security as part of reset with Europe
Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to reset Britain’s relationship with Europe, vowing to put a fresh emphasis on border security at the heart of ties with the continent.
The Prime Minister will speak to world leaders at the European Political Community (EPC) summit hosted at Blenheim Palace today.
Addressing the heads of European Union (EU) institutions, the leaders of NATO, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Sir Keir will say: “We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future.
“European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defence priorities… I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.”
Starmer will pledge closer cooperation with its neighbours to dismantle the European smuggling rings and bring order to the UK’s borders.
“The EPC will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe… from dismantling the people smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putin’s barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe,” he will add.
“We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together.”
More than 100 home office staff will be redeployed to a new rapid returns unit to take control of the UK’s borders, Starmer will announce.
While the Labour leader is also pledging to help lead the Europe-wide effort to combat organised immigration crime, alongside Europol, Frontex, and individual member states.
The government says that it will accelerate asylum decisions and prioritise those who have no right to be in the UK under a new fast-tracked system in the returns and enforcement unit.
It comes after the government announced a Border Security Bill in the King’s Speech to tackle smuggling gangs, giving the Border Security Command counter terror-style powers.
But it has also emerged that the home office’s small boats chief Stuart Skeates, a former army lieutenant general who served in Afghanistan, has resigned his post, the i paper reported.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Dangerous small boat crossings are undermining our border security and putting lives at risk.
“We will work right across Europe to tackle this problem at source, going after those profiting from this awful trade and bringing them to justice.”
Starmer will hold bilateral talks at the EPC including with Polish PM Donald Tusk; attend a migration working group with nations including Italy, Albania, Germany, Malta, and Hungary; as well as joining a meeting of the Moldova Group to underline sovereignty and democracy.