Germany has enacted groundbreaking legislation making it a criminal offence to store small boats and engines used for Channel crossings, with offenders facing prison sentences of up to a decade.
The law, passed on Friday, targets activities within Germany that facilitate the smuggling of migrants towards Britain. It is set to take effect before the year ends.
Under the new rules, criminal gangs will no longer be able to keep inflatable vessels and outboard motors on German soil before moving them to France for use in illegal crossings.
The legislation delivers on commitments made in the UK-Germany Joint Action Plan on Illegal Migration, which was signed last December. Both nations have collaborated intensively over the past year to bring these measures into force.
The Government thanked Berlin for introducing new legislation
| GETTYHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed gratitude for Berlin's partnership in addressing the illegal migration trade.
"Together with our German allies, we are cracking down on the criminal gangs operating the illegal migration trade," she stated, thanking Minister Dobrindt for Germany's cooperation.
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Shabana Mahmood has vowed to be tougher on the small boats crisis | PAThe Home Secretary added that the Government is working to restore order at Britain's borders through increased removals and eliminating factors that attract illegal entry.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted the necessity of international collaboration against smuggling networks that operate across multiple countries.
"This major change in German law is the result of our close partnership working to tackle illegal migration and organised immigration crime," she said, pledging to intensify cooperation with foreign partners to bolster UK border security.
The strengthened legal framework builds upon existing enforcement successes between the two nations. On 13 November, a joint UK-German investigation resulted in the capture of a suspected senior figure within a Syrian people smuggling operation.
German authorities had issued an arrest warrant in March 2025, and after receiving intelligence that the individual had travelled to Britain, they alerted the National Crime Agency, which located him at a residential address in Manchester.
The NCA has maintained close operational ties with European partners, seizing more than 950 vessels and engines since early 2023.
Adrian Matthews, the agency's Director of Intelligence, welcomed the German legislative changes, stating they would "help boost our efforts against the small boats threat" and strengthen relationships with German counterparts crucial to disrupting continental criminal networks.
The German legislation comes amid a broader diplomatic push by the Foreign Secretary to forge international partnerships against people smuggling.
Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is now serving as Foreign Secretary | COMMMs Cooper signed a new migration agreement with Greece during a visit to Athens, where she met her counterpart George Gerapetritis.
The pact has been described as a breakthrough in combating people trafficking. Britain will train Greek law enforcement in disrupting the supply chains for small boats used in dangerous crossings.
Recent joint operations with Greek authorities and the NCA successfully dismantled an Athens-based network engaged in migrant smuggling and document forgery, resulting in eight arrests and the seizure of hundreds of counterfeit documents.
The Foreign Secretary also announced £1.5 million in funding for development initiatives across Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia through the North Africa Migration and Development programme, which has already assisted over 17,000 people.
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