The UK says it has struck a deal with Türkiye to slow the number of migrants leaving the country for Europe with the help of people smuggling gangs. A new "center of excellence" is to be established, with the UK's support, to train Turkish police hunting those responsible for organizing illegal boat crossings in the English Channel. 

While overall numbers have fallen slightly in the first six months of the year, 2022 saw a record 45,755 migrants arriving on the south coast of England, often in dangerously unsafe inflatables. By some estimates, the proportion coming from Türkiye has risen tenfold since the start of the year.

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UK government ministers have described cooperation and joint intelligence gathering with Ankara on the issue as "absolutely critical."

"Our partnership with Türkiye, a close friend and ally, will enable our law enforcement agencies to work together on this international problem," said UK interior minister Suella Braverman.

As well as a "disrupt and dismantle" policy towards criminal gangs, UK ministers say cutting the supply of materials to Türkiye that are used to make poor quality inflatable boats is also a priority. 

Separately, EU officials are examining whether dinghies stockpiled and used by gangs for the crossings can be seized from clandestine warehouses in Germany and France under existing laws. In Türkiye itself, a crackdown on illegal migrants is underway. The country is home to 3.6 million refugees. 

Earlier this week interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said that over half of the 35,000 irregular migrants detained in the last two months had been deported, including nationals from Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Nigeria. 

Ankara claims 238,448 migrants have been turned back at its eastern border with Iran. Human rights groups say officers on its 295-kilometer wall with Iran "routinely abuse and indiscriminately shoot" those attempting to cross.

Since the beginning of the year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has recorded 11 deaths along the southern border allegedly caused by Turkish border guards.

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