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On December 10, 2024, United Kingdom (UK) Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser inked a joint action plan in London to reduce English Channel crossings by human smuggling gangs. The deal arranged for both nations to share intelligence concerning instances of human smuggling between their borders and the broader operations of the gangs involved. Such measures would include policing social media for relevant content, as the gangs are known to leverage the platforms to advertise their services. It also officially made it a crime in Germany to facilitate the transport of someone to the UK. German law had previously only criminalized the facilitation of one’s transport within the European Union (EU), and thus, the UK has enjoyed fewer protections ever since its exit from the EU. This move is consistent with a wider trend of Western countries seeking to strengthen their border security.