Overview

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the bilateral treaty on July 17 and ratification has now begun.
• Berlin will outlaw facilitation of illegal migration to the UK by the end of 2025, granting authorities new powers against smuggling networks.
• An expert group is tasked with designing visa-free school exchange programs to launch by the end of next year.
• A joint taskforce has been convened to explore direct long-distance rail passenger services between London and Berlin within a decade.
• The agreement deepens defence cooperation with mutual assistance clauses, coordinated arms export campaigns and joint development of a 2,000-kilometre-range precision strike missile.