Oral Answers to Questions

Daniel Francis Excerpts

Tuesday 28th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Daniel Francis (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Lab)]

9. What diplomatic steps her Department is taking with international partners to help tackle organised immigration crime.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

We know that people-smuggling gangs work across borders to operate their vile trade, so we too must work across borders to disrupt their supply chains, dismantle their networks and undermine their business model. That is why we are strengthening co-operation with other countries, including through our illegal migration sanctions regime—the first of its kind in the world—and we are targeting the leaders of people-smuggling gangs wherever they are based.

[Daniel Francis]

I thank the Minister for his answer; I know this is an issue of great concern to my constituents across Bexleyheath and Crayford. Following last week’s west Balkans summit, could he provide an update on the measures that are being taken to reduce the number of illegal migrants being brought to the UK via the western Balkans?

[Stephen Doughty]

I thank my hon. Friend for his very important question, and he is absolutely right: tackling illegal migration is vital to our strategic relationship with the western Balkans. Last week, we announced new sanctions against gang leaders, passport forgers and illicit financiers, many of whom have ties to that region, and we are enhancing collaboration between our countries—for example, through the Border Police Chiefs’ Forum, the expansion of the joint migration taskforce and the deployment of UK border security officers to the western Balkans.