Home secretary confirms £75m to tackle people smuggling is new funding from Budget

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said an additional £75 million for the Government’s border command is new funding from the Budget.

Ms Cooper was pressed on Labour’s plans to tackle people smuggling ahead of the Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow on Monday (4 November).

The home secretary told BBC Breakfast: “It’s part of the Budget settlement. It’s in addition to the £75 million we’d already talked about, which is only just starting to be invested now.”

The further amount doubles the border command’s funding to £150 million over two years.

The money will be used to fund high-tech surveillance equipment and 100 specialist investigators who will target criminals engaged in people smuggling.