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'Five Eyes' ministers meet to discuss smashing people smuggling gangs, UK says

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on September 7, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 22, 2026

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'Five Eyes' ministers meet to discuss smashing people smuggling gangs, UK says
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LONDON (Reuters) - Homeland ministers from Britain, the United States and the other "Five Eyes" alliance will announce new measures this week to increase border security and target people smugglers,

Five Eyes Ministers Convene to Tackle People Smuggling Networks

International Cooperation on Border Security

LONDON (Reuters) - Homeland ministers from Britain, the United States and the other "Five Eyes" alliance will announce new measures this week to increase border security and target people smugglers, British interior minister Shabana Mahmood said on Sunday.

Challenges in Migration and Asylum

The ministers from the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network - the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - will meet in London on Monday and Tuesday, Britain's Home Office said, with measures to "smash criminal smuggling gangs" the focus of the talks.

Addressing Online Child Abuse

"We will agree new measures to protect our borders with our Five Eyes partners, hitting people smugglers hard," Mahmood, who was only appointed to her job on Friday after Prime Minister Keir Starmer reshuffled his ministers.

Combating Synthetic Opioids

Countries across the world are wrestling with how to deal with the issue of migration, with the U.S. President Donald Trump making a crackdown on legal and illegal immigration a central plank of his second White House term.

In Britain, it has become the dominant political topic, with the government under great pressure from rivals over how to deal with a record number of asylum claims and arrivals by migrants in small boats across the Channel.

Joining Mahmood for the talks will be U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Canada's Gary Anandasangaree, Tony Burke, Australia's Home Affairs Minister, and Judith Collins from New Zealand.

As well as people smuggling, the group will discuss new measures to tackle those behind child sexual abuse online and how to stop the spread of deadly synthetic opioids, the Home Office said.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Key Takeaways

  • Five Eyes ministers gather in London to discuss border security.
  • Focus on combating people smuggling and enhancing cooperation.
  • New measures to tackle online child abuse and synthetic opioids.
  • UK faces pressure over record asylum claims and Channel crossings.
  • Meeting includes ministers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is people smuggling?
People smuggling refers to the illegal movement of individuals across borders, typically for financial gain. It often involves the exploitation of vulnerable migrants.
What is border security?
Border security involves measures taken by a country to regulate and monitor its borders to prevent illegal immigration, smuggling, and other cross-border crimes.

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