UK Home Secretary Admits Loss of Border Control, Warns Public Trust at Risk
Shabana Mahmood tells summit that Britain’s inability to determine who enters and leaves is eroding the credibility of the state
The UK’s Home Secretary, , has publicly acknowledged that Britain has effectively lost control of its borders, warning that the failure to restore order is undermining public trust and the “credibility of the state itself.” Her remarks came at a summit in London with ministers from the Western Balkans and other European allies, convened to discuss illegal migration and people-smuggling routes.
Addressing the meeting in London, Mahmood said: “The public rightly expect that their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave.
Today, in this country … that is not the case.” She stressed that only through vigorous international cooperation can the flow of migrants arriving via small boats be stemmed, noting that routes through the Western Balkans had become a major transit corridor for smugglers and criminal networks.
The summit agenda included discussions on setting up joint operations, sharing intelligence with the region’s border police forces, and cracking down on the organised-crime groups behind the smuggling.
Officials cited some 22,000 people believed to have been smuggled through Western Balkan routes in the last year.
Mahmood also rejected inward-looking responses to migration issues, warning against parties or voices that sought to “turn inwards” and deal with the challenge alone.
“Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response,” she said.
Opposition voices seized on Mahmood’s admission, with the shadow home secretary labelling it “rich coming from a government that has lost control of our borders.” The comments come amid record numbers of small-boat crossings into Britain, long asylum-backlogs and mounting public concern over border security.
Beyond the summit, the UK government has imposed sanctions on several Balkan-based smuggling networks, deployed UK border security officers to train counterparts in the region, and promised further bilateral deals to strengthen the crackdown.
Mahmood claimed the UK is leading efforts to dismantle the smuggling networks and boost border integrity through cooperation rather than isolation.
She said: “In coming together as we are today, we will make all of our borders and our countries stronger.” The summit concluded with a renewed pledge that the UK and its European partners will intensify operations to restore confidence in border governance and shore up state credibility.
Addressing the meeting in London, Mahmood said: “The public rightly expect that their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave.
Today, in this country … that is not the case.” She stressed that only through vigorous international cooperation can the flow of migrants arriving via small boats be stemmed, noting that routes through the Western Balkans had become a major transit corridor for smugglers and criminal networks.
The summit agenda included discussions on setting up joint operations, sharing intelligence with the region’s border police forces, and cracking down on the organised-crime groups behind the smuggling.
Officials cited some 22,000 people believed to have been smuggled through Western Balkan routes in the last year.
Mahmood also rejected inward-looking responses to migration issues, warning against parties or voices that sought to “turn inwards” and deal with the challenge alone.
“Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response,” she said.
Opposition voices seized on Mahmood’s admission, with the shadow home secretary labelling it “rich coming from a government that has lost control of our borders.” The comments come amid record numbers of small-boat crossings into Britain, long asylum-backlogs and mounting public concern over border security.
Beyond the summit, the UK government has imposed sanctions on several Balkan-based smuggling networks, deployed UK border security officers to train counterparts in the region, and promised further bilateral deals to strengthen the crackdown.
Mahmood claimed the UK is leading efforts to dismantle the smuggling networks and boost border integrity through cooperation rather than isolation.
She said: “In coming together as we are today, we will make all of our borders and our countries stronger.” The summit concluded with a renewed pledge that the UK and its European partners will intensify operations to restore confidence in border governance and shore up state credibility.
