British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are poised to sign a landmark treaty on Thursday aimed at deepening defense collaboration and intensifying joint law enforcement efforts to crack down on criminal gangs smuggling migrants across the English Channel.
This marks Merz’s first official visit to the UK since taking office in May. The treaty was initially proposed during Starmer’s visit to Berlin in August 2024, when he met then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz to outline plans for enhanced UK-Germany cooperation under a “friendship and cooperation” framework.
Curbing illegal cross-channel migration has been a top priority for Starmer, leader of the center-left Labour Party. In 2024, approximately 37,000 individuals were detected crossing the Channel in small boats from France.
The first half of 2025 has already seen over 20,000 similar crossings, with dozens tragically losing their lives attempting the journey.
Germany had agreed in 2023 to criminalize activities related to facilitating the smuggling of migrants into the UK. This legal change would empower authorities to more aggressively target the logistics behind the crossings, including the supply and storage of small boats.
Chancellor Merz is expected to reaffirm his government’s commitment to enacting the necessary legislative amendments by the end of this year.
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Starmer praised Merz’s stance, stating, “Chancellor Merz’s commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome.” He described the UK and Germany as “the closest of allies.”
In addition to the migration and security cooperation, both governments are expected to unveil a series of bilateral investment deals.
The treaty builds upon a defense agreement the two nations signed in 2023, underlining their shared commitment to Ukraine and coordinated responses to growing threats from Russia. It includes mutual defense pledges, agreeing to assist one another in the event of an attack.
Further military collaboration is anticipated, including joint efforts to promote exports of jointly manufactured military equipment such as Boxer armored vehicles and Typhoon fighter jets. The two countries also plan to co-develop a deep precision strike missile system over the next decade.
Starmer has made restoring relations with European partners a key foreign policy goal following the turbulence caused by the UK’s departure from the European Union in 2020.
While he has ruled out rejoining the EU’s single market or customs union, and shown limited enthusiasm for a youth mobility agreement with the bloc, he has consistently worked to reduce trade frictions and strengthen defense cooperation.
Speaking in the German parliament last week, Merz said, “I make no secret of the fact I very much regret to this day that Britain left the European Union.
But if they at least work together with us again in the area of foreign and security policy, then that is a very good sign. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants that.”