Border failings in Europe are eroding trust in nation states, warns Mahmood | Immigration and asylum
Shabana Mahmood will warn that failure to bring order to Europe’s borders erodes trust in politicians and the concept of the nation state.
The interior minister, who hosts a meeting of interior ministers to discuss migration routes in the Western Balkans on Tuesday, will say that international cooperation is the way to prevent irregular migration.
Mahmood will make the warning as he hosts his counterparts from the Western Balkans and other European allies in London. The aim of the summit is to enable European countries to make new agreements to combat illegal immigration.
At the meeting, Mahmood will say: “The people rightly expect that their own government will be able to determine who comes into their country and who must leave. I know that is not the case today in this country and in most if not all of you.”
“And failure to bring order to our borders undermines not only confidence in us as political leaders, but also confidence in the credibility of the state.”
He will also criticize Reform England’s Nigel Farage, accusing his party of “turning inward” and seeking solutions to immigration without the help of other countries.
“Illegal migration is a common threat that requires a strong and common international response,” he will say. “To those who think the answer to the challenges we face is to turn inward or move away from international cooperation, I say this: By coming together as we do today, we will make all our borders and countries stronger.”
The Western Balkans, which includes North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, has become increasingly important in the fight against illegal migration across Europe.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the region is becoming an important transit route for cross-border drug smugglers as well as human traffickers. The ministry said that approximately 22,000 people were kidnapped by gangs through the Western Balkans in 2024.
The summit is also expected to include discussions on how to crack down on gangs, including new cooperation between UK, European and border police forces across the region.
At the meeting, which will be attended by National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar, a session on combating violence against women and girls will be held, as well as discussing efforts to disrupt the supply chains of gangs.
The Conservatives said Mahmood’s warning was “rich, coming from a government that has lost control of our borders”. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp added: “The first nine months of this year have been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel.
“Conservatives leave the ECHR [European convention on human rights]This will enable us to remove all illegal immigrants within a week of their arrival. Then the transitions will soon stop.”
