UK Announces Deal with Turkey to Tackle Illegal Migration

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Facts

  • In an attempt to tackle illegal migration from Europe to Britain, the UK has announced the introduction of a deal with Turkey centered upon joint police operations against smuggler rings and boat part trading.1
  • Intelligence-sharing between enforcement agencies will be increased as part of a "centre of excellence," that will reportedly be established by the Turkish National Police. The government will assist in disrupting boat part sales, but the plans do not include provision on returning failed Turkish asylum seekers.2
  • The UK's interior ministry has claimed that the centre will "enrich existing expertise," as both countries aim to disrupt "criminal networks organising illegal journeys." The UK will also increase the number of officers stationed in Turkey.3
  • UK immigration minister Robert Jenrick has stated that he is unable to disclose the amount transferred to Turkey under the agreement, revealing only that "some funding" was given and that the project was "not primarily about money."4
  • The deal comes after Jenrick visited Turkey — specifically the Turkish-Bulgarian Border Check Point at Kapikule — last month. The Home Office has estimated that hundreds of small boats and boat parts are transported through Europe each year for the purpose of facilitating illegal crossings to the UK.5
  • The deal is set to be further discussed at the UK-Turkey Migration Dialogue meeting, scheduled to take place this autumn in London. The announcement also comes in the same week migrants first boarded the UK Government's controversial Bibby Stockholm barge off the coast of Dorset.6

Sources: 1Reuters, 2BBC News, 3Al Jazeera, 4Sky News, 5Independent, and 6LBC.

Narratives

  • Right narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. While the British Left believes the UK should be an international safe haven for migrants and the distribution global welfare, the reality is that illegal migration fuels labor exploitation, destroys cultural unity, and poses a threat to civil society. The UK must impose greater punishments for illegal entrants to the country and create a hostile environment for those who benefit from people smuggling and evading the law.
  • Left narrative, as provided by The Guardian. By the time the government's ineptitude concerning immigration once again sets upon the British people, it is likely the Conservatives will no longer be in office. There is no evidence that imposing harsh restrictions on illegal arrivals discourages refugees from fleeing unimaginable domestic conditions. The government possesses no real policies outside of the intellectually specious façade that the Tories can repel all those deemed as undesirable invaders.

Predictions