Berlin, July 16, 2025 – British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to sign a bilateral agreement today with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz aimed at intensifying the fight against illegal migration and human smuggling networks.
The official signing ceremony will take place in Berlin, followed by a joint press conference where the two leaders will present the details of their cooperation.
This agreement forms part of broader efforts by both the United Kingdom and Germany to counteract the growing presence of organized criminal groups facilitating illegal crossings—especially those channeling migrants toward the UK.
In December of last year, Germany had expressed its willingness to classify human smuggling toward Britain as a criminal offense. Although this initiative was praised as a key step, legislative action has yet to materialize. No corresponding law has been formally introduced in the Bundestag to date.
“Germany confirmed its intention to clarify the law in order to strengthen its enforcement capabilities against human smuggling gangs,” the German government said in a statement at the time.
However, analysts emphasize that the operative word remains “intention”, as there is currently no binding legal mechanism in Germany that directly penalizes smuggling operations—particularly those conducted outside EU territory, such as in post-Brexit Britain.
According to sources within 10 Downing Street, the proposed German legislation could come into effect by December 2025, nearly a year after initial commitments were made between the two countries.
The forthcoming bilateral agreement is expected to include enhanced intelligence sharing, joint enforcement operations, and technical cooperation to dismantle smuggling routes, particularly those exploiting gaps between EU and UK legal frameworks after Brexit.
