London will host the first-ever international summit on combating human trafficking on Monday and Tuesday, bringing together government ministers and law enforcement officials from 40 countries.
According to PA Media, the summit will focus on global cooperation, criminal funding networks, supply routes, and online advertisements promoting dangerous migration journeys.
Among the participating nations are Albania, Vietnam, and Iraq—countries from which migrants frequently travel to the UK—as well as key international players such as France, the United States, and China.
Small boat crossings in the English Channel are a major aspect of a broader organized crime problem linked to illegal migration.
Last year, authorities removed over 8,000 social media posts where traffickers advertised crossings before shifting their operations to encrypted platforms.
Around 600 boat engines were seized, and hundreds of individuals involved in smuggling operations were arrested.
A key focus of the summit will be the financial mechanisms fueling these criminal networks. Experts will explore ways to track traffickers' funds globally and share best practices from different countries.
Authorities believe that hundreds of millions of pounds are illicitly transferred through systems like hawala—a legitimate method of money transfer used worldwide, but also exploited for smuggling-related payments.
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