Officers from Britains National Crime Agency will be sent to Austria and Romania to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling gangs

Officers from the National Crime Agency are being sent to Austria and Romania to disrupt and dismantle gangs who are smuggling migrants through the countries on their way to Britain. 

Both nations are in the Schengen free movement area and are common stop-off points for criminals moving people and equipment from Italy, Greece, the Balkans and eastern Europe to the coast of northern France. 

The foreign deployment is part of a £70million cash injection diverted from the scrapped Rwanda scheme into the new Border Security Command (BSO), which is central to Labours bid to reduce Channel crossings. 

The unit, which will be led by Martin Hewitt - the police chief formerly responsible for enforcing Covid lockdowns - will bring together hundreds of officers from the NCA, M15, Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service. 

On a visit to Rome yesterday to meet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Sir Keir Starmer said he was particularly interested in her work to tackle upstream issues, including in migrants countries of origin. 

He added: That is why I am interested in the upstream work, which on the face of it, appears to have had quite a profound effect on numbers.

I have always made the argument that preventing people leaving their country in the first place is far better than trying to deal with those that have arrived in any of our countries.

I was very interested in that. In a sense, today was a return - if you like - to British pragmatism.

The NCA already has a presence in Bulgaria, where officers have intercepted 40 small boats and engines in recent weeks, which could have been used by up to 2,400 people to cross the Channel. 

Austria has become a major destination for asylum seekers, with the number of asylum applications it has received nearly doubling in the past two years. 

Romania is a hub for people smugglers, with 19 suspected members of a migrant smuggling gang arrested by an operation supported by Europol earlier this month. 

Last week, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the recruitment of an additional 100 specialist NCA investigators to disrupt people smuggling globally. 

The government says there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of NCA officers stationed within the EU working on organised immigration crime.  

Sir Keir yesterday signalled he is ready to pay foreign countries millions of pounds to help tackle the migrant crisis as he hailed Italys success in curbing illegal crossings.

The Prime Minister, who scrapped the last governments Rwanda scheme, said he was now willing to embrace British pragmatism, including looking at an Italian scheme which involves sending migrants to Albania.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Ms Meloni in Rome, Sir Keir said was eager to learn from Italys dramatic success in cutting illegal arrivals across the Mediterranean by 62 per cent this year.

Ms Meloni said Sir Keir had shown great interest in Italys new plan to send thousands of migrants to Albania to have their asylum claims processed.

She told reporters at 17th-century Villa Doria Pamphili that both leaders believed new, brave options were needed to tackle the massive problem of illegal migration.

The scheme is different to the Tory governments Rwanda scheme as those whose claims are approved will have the right to settle in Italy.

But the Italian PM said she believed sending people abroad for processing would create the element of deterrence to those considering making the crossing.

She said the world is watching the success of the scheme, which is due to start in the coming weeks.

Ms Meloni confirmed the two leaders had discussed the Albanian deal, adding: The UK Government has shown great interest in this agreement.

Sir Keir suggested he was also interested in Italys deals with countries like Tunisia and Libya, which have been paid millions of pounds to help prevent migrants leaving their shores for Italy.

Government sources said ministers were interested in exploring similar arrangements with countries like Vietnam, Turkey, Iraq and other countries from which thousands of migrants set off in search of a new life in the UK.

The Italian government has faced criticism from humanitarian groups about its deals with Albania and its wider approach to migration, including claims it has frustrated groups trying to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean.

But Ms Meloni told reporters: I dont know what human rights violations youre referring to, to be totally frank. This accusation, I think its completely groundless.

Sir Keir defended his decision to forge closer relations with Ms Meloni, who some in Labour have branded far right, saying that Italy was an important ally.

I dont think anybody will think its sensible for us not to continue with that strong bilateral approach on those really important global issues which is what we discussed today, he said. Italys an ally and we work with our allies.

Sir Keir was accompanied by new Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt, with the pair touring a centre in Rome dedicated to tackling illegal migration.

Tory shadow home secretary James Cleverly said: All we heard today from Starmer was more words in place of action. Meetings, press conferences, and roundtables wont stop the people smugglers.

They have finally appointed a border commander but the job itself remains a mystery.

The UK will give some £4million to an initiative called the Rome Process, an Italian government scheme to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, following the meeting of the two leaders.

Yesterday, shocking new figures analysed by MailOnline revealed people smuggling gangs are packing larger numbers of migrants onto flimsy boats.

On average, gangs are squeezing an average of 52 migrants on each boat - increasing the danger for those making the hazardous crossing. Almost 1,100 migrants arrived in the UK over the weekend. 

So far this year, at least 39 migrants have died while making the crossing - with eight losing their lives on Saturday. 

In July, during the trial of Albanian national Eglantin Doksani, 24, it emerged that his smuggling gang were charging migrants £3,000 for a seat on a boat.  

Since January 1, some 23,544 migrants have crossed the English Channel on board 447 boats. 

In 2018, 499 migrants arrived in the UK on 43 small boats - an average of almost 7 people per vessel.