UK police officers are to be tasked with breaking up people-smuggling gangs alongside security forces in North African countries, it has been reported. The Times newspaper has been told National Crime Agency (NCA) officers would join nations in the region in their efforts to stop the people traffickers. According to The Times, the Italian Government has predicted up to 400,000 migrants will seek to travel to Europe through Italy this summer. The report comes as immigration minister Robert Jenrick travels to North Africa and Europe in the coming week to discuss with international partners “the shared global challenge of organised immigration crime”. Ministers also hope the legislation will cut the daily £5.5 million cost of housing migrants who make it to the UK.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 28, 2023 23:02 UTC