The agreement, announced on Tuesday evening, includes the establishment of a “center of excellence” by the Turkish police, with the support of London, to facilitate the exchange of immigration data. The government also said that more agents would be sent to Turkey to facilitate cooperation between National Crime Agency staff and their Turkish counterparts. The MOU will also allow for faster exchange of customs and intelligence data.
“We must do everything we can to shut down the smuggling networks and stop the boats,” Interior Minister Soella Braverman said. “Our partnership with Turkey, a close friend and ally, will enable our services to work together to solve this international problem.”
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, who visited Turkey last month, said the partnership came with “some funding” but declined to elaborate. He told JP News that it was “not primarily about money” but “about sharing information”.
The UK government has made combating illegal immigration a priority, with a series of announcements aimed at reducing the number of people crossing the Channel. However, these measures have not had much effect so far.
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