The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, used a visit to the National Crime Agency (NCA) headquarters in Stratford to set out a tough message on border security and people smuggling. Her remarks come as ministers point to a rise in enforced removals since the current Government took office and announce a boost in operational capacity at the NCA.
What ministers say is changing
Speaking to reporters during the tour, Ms Mahmood said she has been intensely focused on strengthening the border since her appointment. She framed the Government’s approach as both enforcement-led and reform-minded, linking operational action to planned immigration changes intended to reduce the incentives for dangerous Channel crossings.
"I think the most important thing that people need to hear from their Home Secretary is that I’m doing whatever it takes to secure our border,"
Ms Mahmood said recent work was beginning to yield results while acknowledging further steps are required. She highlighted that removals have increased since the Labour administration took power in 2024 and stressed the Government intends to expand those efforts.
Numbers and immediate priorities
Ministers cited figures showing removals are up by 41% since 2024, with more than 70,000 deportations recorded. The Home Secretary also referred to crossings by small boats since the appointment of the Prime Minister on 20 July, noting around 2,000 people had made that journey in the period referenced.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Increase in removals since 2024 | 41% |
| Deportations to date | 70,000+ |
| Small boat crossings since 20 July | 2,000 |
| Recent deaths while crossing | 4 |
She said the NCA’s work is having an "impact" and announced plans to double the number of NCA officers deployed to this area of work. The director general of operations at the NCA, Rob Jones, was quoted as saying people smugglers are becoming more desperate — a line ministers use to justify stepped-up disruption of criminal networks.
Human cost and public concern
Ms Mahmood drew attention to recent fatalities, describing each as a "tragedy" and warning against the normalisation of deaths in the Channel. The Home Secretary stressed that tackling both the criminal gangs who organise crossings and the factors that lead people to attempt them are part of the Government’s agenda.
- She pledged to combine enforcement with immigration reform to reduce "pull" factors.
- The Government will increase NCA staffing focused on smuggling networks.
- Officials highlighted recent increases in removals as evidence of progress.
For local readers in Reading and across the county, the visit underscores how national migration and enforcement policies may be scaled up in the coming months. While operational action is concentrated at ports, maritime and law‑enforcement centres, policy changes affecting asylum, removals and safe‑route provision could shape case-processing and partner agency workloads regionally.
Further details on the Government’s immigration reforms and the timetable for expanding NCA staffing were not given at the Stratford briefing. Local authorities, charities and legal advisers will be watching for concrete proposals on safe routes and resettlement pathways as ministers balance enforcement with what they describe as measures to address root causes.
Readers seeking support or information about local services related to migration, asylum or refugees should consult their council or local voluntary organisations for the most up‑to‑date guidance.
