Interior ministers from Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands will meet in London on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation against criminal networks linked to irregular immigration in Europe.
The group of ministers, known as the Calais Group, aims to intensify efforts to dismantle people smuggling gangs and ensure those responsible for these dangerous activities are brought to justice, according to a statement from the UK's Home Office.
Representatives from the European Commission, Frontex and Europol will also attend to develop a "strengthened action plan" for 2025.
They will focus on the role of illicit financial flows and the sharing of intelligence to better prosecute smugglers across Europe.
In November, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for increased international cooperation against smuggling networks, describing them as "a global security threat comparable to terrorism."
Since January, nearly 34,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel to the UK in small boats. 2024 has been the deadliest year so far with at least 70 people losing their lives.
