GovWire

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, has today thanked the thousands of Border Force and Immigration Enforcement staff working to protect the public and keep the UKs border safe and secure over the Christmas and New Year period.

Across the UK, Border Force staff will be giving up time with loved ones to maintain the integrity of the border carrying out immigration and customs checks at several ports and airports, patrolling the UKs coastline, and searching vehicles, vessels and cargo for illicit goods and illegal entrants.

Immigration Enforcement teams will also continue to work over the festive period, investigating organised crime groups (OCGs) who abuse the immigration system, conducting enforcement visits, and working to return individuals who have no right to be in the UK.

The minister also praised the hard work of staff working on the frontline during a busy year which saw the worst start to a year on record for small boat crossings, with arrivals 18% higher in the first 6 months of this year compared to 2023 and 6% higher than the record year in 2022.

This year, Border Force staff in the Small Boats Operational Command have worked with law enforcement partners in France to prevent nearly 27,000 attempted crossings and their work with the Belgians has seen well over 450 boats and engines seized. Since 5 July, almost 13,500 people who have no right to be in the UK have also been returned, with the 4 biggest returns flights in the UKs history also taking place during this period (up to 7 December).

Significant quantities of illegal party drugs have been seized by Border Force this year, preventing high levels of harmful and illegal substances reaching communities across the UK. Border Force are making more, higher quantity seizures than in previous years, using advanced technology and greater intelligence.

Between January and June 2024, Border Force made a total of 22,719 illegal drug seizures, a 19% increase compared to the same period last year.

Over 90 tonnes of illegal drugs were seized, up 92% compared to the first half of 2023. This included significant quantities of so-called party drugs, cocaine and ketamine. Strong operational performance and a zero-tolerance approach to illegal drug smuggling resulted in over 19 tonnes of cocaine and 412kg of ketamine being confiscated in the first half of this year.

So far this year, Border Force have also made over 18,000 individual seizures of herbal cannabis, equalling 41 tonnes.

These statistics underpin the crucial role that Border Force plays in keeping the public safe from illegal drugs, contributing to the governments mission to make our streets safer.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said:

Border Force and Immigration Enforcement officers work tirelessly to protect the public and keep the UKs border secure, and this work continues over the Christmas period.

Officers have faced an unprecedented set of challenges this year, with the new government inheriting the worst start to a year on record for small boat arrivals.

Despite this, frontline staff have continued to demonstrate the highest levels of commitment and professionalism as they work to keep the public safe, maintain the integrity of the UKs immigration system and safeguard vulnerable people.

This work is set to continue as the government intensifies its efforts to reduce the number of individuals crossing the border via dangerous and illegal routes working to break the business model of people smuggling gangs and ultimately saving lives as part of our Plan for Change.

As we approach the end of the year, it is only right that we take stock of the progress made so far and take a moment on behalf of the whole country to say thank you.

The new government is steadfast in its commitment to reducing the number of small boat arrivals and securing the UKs border, which is a key foundation of the Plan for Change.

That is why since coming to office, the government has already:

• set up the new Border Security Command, led by Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, and backed by 150 million to tackle organised immigration crime
• led a new international effort to coordinate law enforcement agencies to smash criminal smuggling gangs wherever they operate this includes a new border security pact with Iraq, the anti-smuggling action plan that the Home Secretary secured with G7 partners in Italy and the new joint action plan with Germany to shut down smuggling networks
• co-chaired a meeting of the Calais Group in London where key European Interior Ministers agreed an enhanced plan to tackle people smuggling gangs in 2025
• funded an extra 100 specialist NCA intelligence officers, including staff stationed across Europe and in Europol to drive closer working with international law enforcement partners to target and disrupt smuggling gangs upstream
• ramped up returns of failed asylum seekers who have been stuck in the system, with 1,000 staff being redeployed to fulfil our pledge to uplift returns and enforcement activity

The Small Boats Operational Command has a large number of staff on duty, on land and at sea, over the Christmas period to control any attempted Channel crossings made by migrants in small boats.

Operational teams both here in the UK and in France are fully resourced and remain on high alert to respond to the enduring threat to life posed by weather conditions, particul

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