Starmer Will Sign Anti-Smuggling Pacts on November 7
The UK Prime Minister will secure migration deals with Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo during a summit in Hungary.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Immigration
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will sign new anti-smuggling agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo on November 7, 2026. The move aims to dismantle criminal gangs operating along the Western Balkans transit route.
Why it matters
The government seeks to disrupt the business models of smuggling syndicates that utilize the Western Balkans as a primary transit route for illegal migration to the UK and EU. By enhancing intelligence-sharing, the initiative attempts to curb human trafficking flows at their source.
Government figures show nearly 100,000 migrants transited through the Western Balkans last year. These new agreements will build upon an existing migration framework the UK currently holds with Albania.
The players
Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Labour Party.
The details
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a dedicated migration meeting at the upcoming European Political Community summit in Budapest. The agreements are designed to formalize expertise and intelligence exchanges between the UK and the three Balkan nations to better intercept smuggling operations.
Timeline
The UK saw a baseline of migrant arrivals for comparison in 2023.
The current Labour government took power in the UK in July 2026.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will sign the migration agreements on November 7, 2026.
Political Context
Opponents of the government's approach argue that bilateral agreements fail to address the underlying push factors driving irregular migration. Critics frequently point to the logistical challenges of enforcing such cross-border security pacts across multiple sovereign nations.
These policy shifts are intended to influence border security operations rather than change immediate tax or visa regulations for individual citizens. Travelers to the Western Balkans may notice increased security monitoring at transit points as these intelligence agreements take effect.
The takeaway
The strategy highlights a shift toward externalizing border control by targeting smuggling infrastructure in transit countries. Future success will depend on the effectiveness of intelligence sharing between the UK and the participating nations in the Western Balkans.
Further reading
For more background on international policy, visit the Immigration section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Euractiv DE.
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