Germany will introduce new legislation to crack down on people-smuggling gangs facilitating illegal migration to the UK, Downing Street announced on Wednesday, ahead of a landmark bilateral agreement between the two countries.
The legal change, expected to take effect by the end of the year, will make it a criminal offence in Germany to assist illegal migration specifically to non-EU countries — including the UK, which left the bloc in 2020.
The move comes as part of a broader UK-Germany cooperation agreement on migration, defence, and trade, set to be signed during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first official visit to Britain on Thursday.
“Chancellor Merz’s commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said.
Currently, German law does not prohibit facilitating illegal migration to countries outside the European Union. As a result, smuggling operations targeting the UK have exploited Germany as a key logistics hub. A BBC investigation last year revealed that German warehouses were being used to store small boats and engines destined for Channel crossings.
Under the upcoming legal changes, German authorities will have greater power to investigate and shut down such operations.
The groundwork for the legislation was laid under the previous German government last December, but Chancellor Merz is now expected to officially commit to enacting the changes before year’s end.
The announcement comes amid mounting political pressure on the UK government to address a sharp rise in small boat crossings. More than 21,000 people have crossed the Channel so far this year — a 56% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The UK government has responded with a flurry of bilateral agreements, including a “one in, one out” returns scheme with France announced last week. Under that pilot programme, small boat arrivals may be returned to France in exchange for the UK accepting a similar number of asylum seekers with UK family ties.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp of the Conservative Party criticised the Labour-led government’s approach, accusing Starmer of “headline-chasing.”
“This is just more of the same tired gimmicks,” Philp said. “The crisis in the Channel continues to spiral… this government has clearly lost control of our borders.”
Migration is only one part of the new UK-Germany agreement. The two leaders will also unveil a package aimed at boosting defence cooperation and exports, including joint campaigns to export Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon fighter jets.
Downing Street said the agreement is expected to generate “billions of pounds” in additional UK defence exports over the next decade, creating jobs and bolstering the economy.
The visit will also see the launch of a UK-Germany Business Forum, designed to increase cross-border investment. A series of new commercial deals worth over £200 million — expected to create more than 600 jobs in the UK — will be announced to coincide with the visit.
Among the companies involved is defence tech firm STARK, which will open a new facility in Swindon, creating 100 new jobs.
Chioma Kalu
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