UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is scheduled to meet with the European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Magnus Brunner, on Monday to discuss deepening law enforcement cooperation. The talks come shortly after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham stated his desire for the UK to rejoin European law enforcement databases from which it has been excluded since Brexit.
According to the European Commission, the agenda for the meeting will cover migration, border management, law enforcement cooperation, and counter-terrorism. The discussions follow the publication of new Frontex data showing a 43% decline in small boat crossings across the Channel.
Database Access and Security
A central topic of the meeting will be the UK’s potential re-entry into specific police and security databases. The UK was locked out of these systems after leaving the EU, a move that officials argue has hindered their ability to maintain control over borders and security.
One key platform the UK seeks to access is Eurodac, a new database that collects fingerprints and facial images of asylum seekers aged six and older, along with security flags for individuals linked to terrorism or serious crime. Another priority is the Schengen Information System (SIS), which holds data on missing persons, stolen goods, vehicles, and fugitives. The EU reports that approximately 20 million searches are conducted on the SIS daily, primarily involving vehicle checks.
Brunner emphasized the importance of UK involvement in these efforts. He stated that the UK’s contribution is indispensable to continuing work to suppress irregular migration, particularly as the EU implements new laws designed to speed up asylum decisions and deportations.
Political Context and Summit Preparations
This encounter marks the second time Mahmood has met Brunner in two months. It occurs amid a period of increased engagement between London and Brussels. Burnham announced that he would use an upcoming EU-UK summit in November to outline various options for Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc.
During a recent meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York, Burnham noted her openness to restoring data sharing on immigration. He told MPs that control was a critical issue lost during the Brexit debate and that he would work to secure a practical arrangement on the matter at the November summit.
Brunner will also meet with MI5 Director General Ken McCallum and visit the National Counter Terrorism Security Office. Additionally, he is scheduled to meet senior officials from the UK’s child sexual abuse centre to discuss joint efforts in tackling such crimes.
Later in his visit, Brunner will deliver a lecture at King’s College London on migration and asylum. He plans to discuss the impact of the EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum, a framework of 10 legislative pieces that overhaul how the EU manages borders, processes asylum applications, and shares information among member states.
Brunner intends to tell his audience that these reforms are already yielding results. He cited a 55% drop in illegal crossings at EU external borders over two years and record-low asylum applications in countries that were previously main destinations. He argued that the UK must stay on this course, noting that illegal crossings in the UK have also decreased by 43%.
Source: The Guardian
