UK and Türkiye announce new deal to disrupt people-smuggling gangs

The deal includes the establishment of a joint operational centre in Türkiye, which will be supported by UK staff. The centre will aim to strengthen collaboration between the National Crime Agency and Home Office intelligence staff based in Türkiye and their Turkish counterparts.

The UK government said the deal is part of its efforts to "improve our use of upstream illegal migration countermeasures to prevent irregular entry into the UK".

The deal comes after the UK government was criticized for its handling of asylum seekers, including the recent decision to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The Turkish government has also been criticized for its treatment of migrants, including the use of violence against Afghan migrants attempting to cross the border into Türkiye.

The new deal between the UK and Türkiye is seen as an attempt to address these concerns and to work together to tackle the problem of people-smuggling. (ILKHA)