Overview

• British officers have been sent to Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to work with Frontex, train border guards, and share drones, night‑vision gear, biometric tools and fraud‑detection techniques.
• Hosting a London summit, the home secretary sought new deals with Western Balkans and European ministers, citing Home Office figures that about 22,000 people were smuggled through the region in 2024.
• The government is exploring joint operations in the region and continues negotiations on potential Western Balkans return hubs, with no agreements announced.
• Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt told MPs the strategy is a long-term effort, said smugglers are adapting, and confirmed the UK is still awaiting French legal changes to allow maritime interceptions.
• Opposition critics highlighted rising Channel crossings and said only 26 people have been returned to France, questioning the effectiveness of current policies.