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Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed on Thursday to crack down on the criminal gangs that smuggle migrants into the United Kingdom.

He made the promise during his first official visit to the UK since coming to office in May, saying he will oversee changes in Germany's laws before the end of the year to facilitate the clampdown.

The two countries also agreed on a wide-ranging new bilateral agreement signed by Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to work more closely on business and defense issues.

A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC that the pending change in German laws will make it illegal for people in Germany to facilitate irregular migration to the UK — something that is not currently prohibited.

The spokesperson said the change will ensure that German law enforcement agencies can raid warehouses and other premises used by people-smugglers in Germany, and for officials to seize boats, engines, life jackets and other equipment destined to be used to take migrants illegally across the English Channel.

While migrants are not thought to travel to the UK directly from Germany, the latter is believed to be a hub for people-smuggling gangs, and a staging post for their equipment.

Shared priorities

Starmer welcomed Germany's promised clampdown, saying: "Chancellor Merz's commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels, which carry illegal migrants across the Channel, is hugely welcome. As the closest of allies, we will continue to work closely together to deliver on the priorities that Brits and Germans share."

German Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger wrote on X that Merz's visit marked "an important day in UK-German relations" and that the treaty the leaders signed was "groundbreaking and far-reaching".

The agreement, which Starmer described as a "friendship treaty", followed a deal agreed last week by the UK and France that calls for migrants arriving illegally in the UK from French shores to be sent back and replaced with an equal number of people with valid refugee claims.

The arrival of large numbers of migrants, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, has put huge pressure on infrastructure in many European countries and fueled the rise of the far right, which has pushed many governments into wanting to solve the issue.

Official figures show that at least 21,000 people illegally crossed the English Channel from the European mainland in small boats during the first six months of this year, which was around 50 percent more than during the corresponding period last year.

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