Counter Terror Business - Border Security

New digital ID scheme will "make borders more secure"

Angela Pisanu — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 09:27:53 +0000

The government has set out plans for a new digital ID scheme, designed to combat illegal working and enhance border security.

By the end of the current Parliament, digital ID will become mandatory for Right to Work checks, making it harder for those without legal status to gain employment. The system, available to all UK citizens and legal residents, will replace paper-based identity checks and allow users to prove their identity via a secure app on their phones.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly - rather than hunting around for an old utility bill."

The new system is designed with state-of-the-art encryption and biometric security, and will work similarly to the NHS App or mobile banking. It will also support users who don’t have smartphones, with face-to-face support and an upcoming public consultation to ensure inclusivity.

The scheme is expected to streamline services such as applying for driving licences, claiming childcare or welfare benefits, and accessing tax records, while reducing identity theft and fraud. It will also generate intelligence to help target employers hiring illegally.

The digital ID will build on the government's existing GOV.UK digital wallet project and is inspired by successful systems in countries like Estonia, Australia, and India.

The government will launch a consultation later this year for views on how this service will be delivered.

£100 million for border security

Polly Jones — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:20:01 +0000

The government has invested £100 million in border security.

The investment will pay for up to 300 extra National Crime Agency officers (NCA), state-of-the art detection technology and new equipment.

The Border Security Command, the NCA, the police and other law enforcement agency partners will see a cash injection to strengthen investigations targeting smuggling kingpins and disrupt their operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.

The money will boost existing law enforcement operations and allow more intelligence to be gathered on organised immigration crime gang members, support upstream capacity building, and purchase sophisticated technology and equipment to strengthen UK border security.

National Crime Agency Director General of Operations Rob Jones said: "The NCA focuses on making the biggest impact on organised crime groups behind these lethal crossings.

"We currently have 91 investigations ongoing into the most dangerous people smuggling networks impacting the UK, and are working with partners at home and abroad to target, disrupt and dismantle them.

"This additional funding will help boost our capacity and capability, enabling us to target more offenders."

Clearing border bottlenecks with smarter, faster digital solutions for travel

Polly Jones — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:54:54 +0000

Ahead of IBMATA's Border Management & Technologies Summit Europe 2025 in Tallinn, Andy Smith explores how digital innovation can help border agencies ease congestion, enhance security, and deliver a smoother experience for travellers across Europe.

We all want travel to be secure, safe, and easy. But as traveller numbers surge to record highs and governments aim to �鶹�� tourism’s full economic power, border agencies face a critical challenge: how do you handle rising demand without compromising security?

This week, European and global leaders in border security, technology, and policy meet in Tallinn, Estonia, to tackle exactly that.

Europe’s in-tray is full. From large-scale migration to evolving security threats, the continent’s unique geographic and cultural diversity demands solutions that balance security with the need to keep legitimate trade and travel flowing.
Demand is booming, are borders keeping up?

Travel and tourism are the lifeblood of European prosperity. And they’re only growing. Last year, passenger numbers across Europe soared nearly 10 per cent, with capacity up by more than 9 per cent, according to IATA.

In response, European airports are investing billions to expand and modernise. Governments, too, are stepping in to back infrastructure improvements. But shiny new terminals alone won’t deliver the benefits, not unless border systems evolve alongside them.

From static to smart: why border modernisation matters
Border security can’t lag behind. It needs to embrace the same tech-driven advancements shaping traveler expectations and responding to today’s fast-moving threats.

Right now, many passengers face long queues and repeated document checks, with IATA reporting over 70 per cent encounter delays. That’s frustrating for travellers and a strain on agency resources, especially when most people pose no risk.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Digitalised, interoperable, and dynamic borders can transform the experience, letting governments adapt policies and procedures in real time, strengthen security, and boost their country’s appeal as a destination for trade, tourism, and investment.

Integration is the key
Effective border management is never just one agency’s job. It brings together immigration, customs, public health, intelligence, and law enforcement. Siloed systems create gaps and inefficiencies; integrated systems, on the other hand, offer a unified, real-time view of travelers and goods, allowing faster, smarter decisions and keeping resources focused where they matter most.

Creating a better border experience
By using secure digital identities and pre-clearing travellers before they even arrive, border agencies can reduce congestion and speed up processing. And because the border experience shapes a visitor’s first and last impression, improving it also strengthens a country’s global image.

Start small, scale big
The path forward doesn’t require sweeping overnight change. In fact, the most successful transformations often start small, with modular, collaborative approaches.

Digital travel credentials (DTCs) are a prime example. Worldwide, demand for faster, contactless processes is skyrocketing, with over 60 per cent of passengers saying they’d pay for a DTC. In Aruba, a DTC pilot cut border processing time to just eight seconds, while improving data accuracy and compliance.

Immediate wins, long-term gains
Governments can make meaningful progress by tackling immediate pain points now while laying the groundwork for broader transformation. It’s about asking: what can we improve today with minimal disruption, and how does that fit into the bigger vision of a fully digital, integrated, and secure border?

Thoughtful, incremental action builds momentum for larger change.

Building the borders of the future
Borders will always be about managing risk. But by rethinking how people, goods, and information move across them, European governments can create systems that are not just more secure, but also more efficient, adaptable, and aligned with the needs of a fast-changing world. Crucially, these systems can balance the demands of security with the economic benefits of growing travel and tourism.

Andy Smith is Director for Industry & Innovation at SITA, the global air transport industry-owned IT-tech organisation that works with over 75 governments – including every G20 nation – to modernise airport and border operations.

The International Border Management and Technologies Association (IBMATA), a not-for-profit international NGO committed to the safe and secure movement of people and goods across international borders, holds its Border Management & Technologies Summit Europe 2025 in Tallinn from 4-6 June.

Border Force to use AI to screen freight

Polly Jones — Wed, 28 May 2025 10:24:04 +0000

The UK Border Force is aiming to expand its use of AI to enhance the searching and screening of freight at UK seaports.

In order to balance security with the smooth movement of legitimate goods, the agency is seeking to automate the detection of anomalies in x-ray images, as manual analysis is both time-consuming and prone to error.

It is hoped that AI-driven automation will speed up screening times and also increase the volume of goods processed. It will also free up officers to focus on critical tasks, reduce false alarms and minimise unnecessary secondary inspections.

The Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) supported the Border Force in organising and analysing its extensive x-ray image database, which had previously been stored inconsistently across multiple data structures.

ACE was initially tasked with creating a fully indexed and standardised repository of x-ray images and associated data, making it easily accessible to analysts and suitable for AI algorithm development.

Six ACE suppliers collaborated to explore innovative AI and machine-learning methodologies for anomaly detection. Using the newly indexed data, they developed three use cases: vector integrity, pattern recognition and high-density material detection.

The insights were then presented to Border Force and the solutions will be taken forward for trials in a controlled operational environment.

Almost £1 million towards combatting smuggling gang leaders

Meghan Shaw — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:57:22 +0000

Nearly £1 million government funding is to towards supporting Iraq to combat organised immigration crime through hunting down those at the top of smuggling gangs networks.

The home secretary’s partnership with Iraq will help both tackle organised immigration crime as well as strengthen border security in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The boosting in funding from the UK will go towards passing new anti-smuggling legislation in the KRI, as well as to provide targeted training, specialist technological support, and community engagement to address key security challenges in the region.

The implementation of the new law will boost wider National Crime Agency (NCA) operations, which already had more than 70 investigations ongoing into top tier immigration crime networks.

The UK-Iraq partnership has led to a further crackdown on the use of fraudulent documents by people smuggling gangs to move migrants through the Iraqi border, with the UK distributing specialist forgery detection devices across forensic labs in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Dohuk.

A collaboration between the �鶹�� Office, NCA and International partners is also working to target the business model of these criminal networks, including their use of social media platforms, financial flows and maritime equipment. This strategy has been successful so far, with other 8,000 social media accounts taken down in 2024.

Following the news is the Organised Immigration Crime Summit which started yesterday (31st March 2025), which is being hosted by the home secretary and the prime minister.

Minister for security, Dan Jarvis, said: “The ‘Mr Bigs’ of people-smuggling gangs are cowards who hide in other countries and use their stooges to do their dirty work, while they count the grubby blood money they receive. They do not care about the people they are endangering who are going recklessly crammed into increasingly crowded, flimsy boats.

“We are using every power in our disposal to hunt them down, bring them to justice and dismantle their evil people smuggling networks. The UK’s partnership with Iraq is a cornerstone in this fight, with both of our countries making significant progress in just a matter of months. Criminal ‘lords’ in Iraq who had previously thought themselves untouchable are now being sent a clear message that their abhorrent business model will fail.”

Counter terror-style powers to fight smuggling gangs

Polly Jones — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:58:28 +0000

The government has announced new counter terror-style powers to identify and disrupt people-smuggling gangs.

The new measures will mean that counter-terror style tactics will be used against smuggling gangs through tools to stop them before they act.

There will be stronger powers to seize and search mobile phones to investigate organised immigration crime and new offences against gangs conspiring to plan crossings, selling or handling small boat parts for use in the Channel, and supplying forged ID documents.

The laws will be part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, introduced to parliament on 30 January.

The new measures are inspired by powers used to combat terrorism.

�鶹�� Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Over the last six years, criminal smuggling gangs have been allowed to take hold all along our borders, making millions out of small boat crossings.

"This Bill will equip our law enforcement agencies with the powers they need to stop these vile criminals, disrupting their supply chains and bringing more of those who profit from human misery to justice.

"These new counter terror-style powers, including making it easier to seize mobile phones at the border, along with statutory powers for our new Border Security Command to focus activity across law enforcement agencies and border force will turbocharge efforts to smash the gangs.

"Our Plan for Change relies on strong border security. It is critical we have the tools at our disposal to pursue those who undermine them in every way we can."

Border security commander Martin Hewitt said: "It is vital that government and our law enforcement partners, working together as part of the UK’s border security system, have the right tools to tackle the people smuggling gangs abusing our border.

"This Bill will do exactly that, by equipping teams on the ground dealing with this issue first hand and empowering them to go further and act faster when dismantling organised criminality.

"These crucial measures will underpin our enforcement action across the system, and together with our strengthened relationships with international partners, we will bring down these gangs once and for all."

Government to overhaul serious crime laws to fight people smuggling

Polly Jones — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 11:08:01 +0000

The government has announced plans to overhaul serious crime laws to combat people-smuggling gangs.

In a change to Serious Crime Prevention Orders, new Interim Orders will enable immediate action to disrupt and deter suspected serious criminality.

The orders form part of a stronger approach to organised crime, as part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

The government hopes that the new approach will level up the response to serious crime, including organised immigration crime, with new powers reflecting those which are already in place to disrupt other harmful criminality including knife crime, slavery and trafficking.

The new interim orders will speed up the process for placing restrictions on people under investigation to prevent, deter and disrupt serious and organised crime. They will also allow the police and other law enforcement agencies to apply directly to the High Court to impose immediate restrictions while a full Order is considered.

Restrictions will be applied on a case-by-case basis, but could include: travel restrictions; laptop or mobile phone bans; social media bans; restrictions on whom someone can associate with; restrictions on devices and communications with certain individuals; and restrictions on finances.

Those who breach an Interim Order could face five years in prison.

�鶹�� secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Dangerous criminal people-smugglers are profiting from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. They cannot be allowed to get away with it.

“Stronger international collaboration has already led to important arrests and action against dangerous gangs over the last few months. We will give law enforcement stronger powers they need to pursue and stop more of these vile gang networks.

“Border security is one of the foundations of this government’s Plan for Change, including making people better off, delivering safer streets and strengthening our NHS, and we will do everything in our power to deliver for working people.”

New funding announced for border security

Polly Jones — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:20:53 +0000

The government is set to announce an extra £75 million of funding to boost border security.

The boost will bring the total investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.

The prime minister will make the announced at a meeting of the INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow - INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises senior ministerial and policing leads from the 196 member states. This is the first time the Assembly has been hosted in the UK for over 50 years.

Keir Starmer plans to draw on his experience of bringing together agencies to tackle international terrorist and drug smuggling gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions to dismantle the people smuggling gangs.

His speech will set out how the £150 million will provide additional specialist investigators and state-of-the-art surveillance equipment.

Initially the funding will be directed towards a range of enforcement and intelligence activity. This includes investing heavily in NCA technology and capabilities, delivering advanced data exploitation and improvements to technologies to boost collaboration with European partners to investigate and break people smuggling networks.

There will be 300 staff for the new Border Security Command, tasked with strengthening global partnerships, delivering new legislation and leading the system through investment and strategy. There will also be 100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers for the NCA, dedicated to tackling criminals who facilitate people smuggling.

A new specialist OIC Intelligence Source Unit will be created which will cohere intelligence flows from key police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service’s ability to deliver charging decisions more quickly will be boosted.

In his speech, the PM will say: “The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders.

“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.

“This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism - which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.

“We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies.”

Ahead of the announcement, �鶹�� Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Criminal smuggler gangs profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk and they have been getting away with it for far too long.

“Our new Border Security Command, with the investment set out today, will mean a huge step change in the way we target these criminal gangs. People smugglers and traffickers operate in networks across borders, that’s why we have launched a major boost to our cooperation with international partners including other European countries, the G7 and Europol, and why we are so pleased to be hosting the INTERPOL conference on tackling international crime in Glasgow today.”

Funding to combat human trafficking

Polly Jones — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 08:40:07 +0000

The government has announced funding for international programmes to address irregular migration at the source, including by tackling people smuggling and human trafficking.

£4 million from the existing aid budget will be allocated to the UN’s Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF). The fund was launched in 2019 to help implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

So far 24 programmes have been funded by the MMPTF in collaboration with 16 UN organisations, including programmes which tackle organised immigration crime, such as by training border authorities and security officials in efforts in Guinea and Liberia.

Other initiatives include providing health and housing support to migrant street children in Ethiopia and supporting migrants in Ecuador to build skills and find employment opportunities.

Development Minister, Anneliese Dodds, said: "Earlier this year, the new UK government made a commitment to tackle irregular migration at source. In our largest contribution to the UN’s Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund to date, today’s announcement will do just that.

"Working with our international partners, including the UN and those in the Global South, we will grip the migration crisis that is putting millions of lives at risk. It will complement work already underway to secure the UK border against criminal smuggling gangs."

G7 members agree plan to dismantle smuggling gangs

Polly Jones — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 09:34:25 +0000

G7 nations have agreed a new plan aimed at dismantling migrant smuggling gangs.

It is hoped the G7 Anti-Smuggling Action Plan will deliver a boost to UK law enforcement by fostering closer cooperation with G7 partners to bolster border security, combat transnational organised crime, and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation by migrant smugglers.

As part of the plan, new joint investigative actions will be carried out by law enforcement teams to target criminal smuggling routes, while at the same time, intelligence sharing between G7 nations will ensure faster identification and disruption of these dangerous networks.

The plan also includes measures to share best practice, including disrupting supply chains that facilitate people-smuggling, such as small boat parts, seizing the illegal financial assets of criminals, and improving cooperation across global transport routes.

Signatories will work with social media platforms and internet providers to remove harmful content that promotes illegal migration services or advertises fake job opportunities.

�鶹�� secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Criminal smuggling gangs who organise small boat crossings undermine our border security and put lives at risk. Our new government is rapidly accelerating cooperation with other countries to crack down on these dangerous gangs.

"Today’s newly agreed G7 action plan provides an important focus on international law enforcement and reflects our determination to work with global partners on these shared challenges. New international joint investigative teams will help coordinate cross-border action and supplement the measures we have already taken to set up the UK Border Security Command and back it with new funding.

"The plan will help to increase both voluntary and enforced returns of migrants to countries of origin. It aims to offer migrants more choices and improve the overall management of migration flows."