Germany’s acting home minister touted her government’s success in combating human trafficking on Monday as representatives from 40 countries met in London to attend an illegal immigration conference.
Speaking at the organized Immigration Crime Summit, Nancy Faeser said that countries must unite to resolve international trafficking.
“We have to stop the cruel business of trafficking gangs,” Faeser said. “This involves serious organized crime and often armed perpetrators.”
She called on partner countries to “exchange information more closely to discover and remove the entire logistics chain behind the smuggling operation”.
Faeser also highlighted the progress Germany has made in stopping human trafficking, noting that over 2,000 smugglers have been detained during border inspections over the past 18 months.
The minister said the number of trafficked people determined in Germany fell from 40,000 in 2023 to 10,000 in 2024.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened the summit on Monday, believing that people like terrorism are seen as a threat to global security.
“I don’t think it’s impossible to solve organized immigration crimes,” Starmer said.
“We must combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and resolve issues in every step of the smuggling journey, from North Africa and the Middle East to the streets of our largest cities,” the prime minister added.
The UK convened the summit as it attempted to stop the movement of migrants crossing the passage on the boat.
