A NEW dedicated task force has been launched to transform how the police respond to organised immigration crime gangs operating from the UK - much to the delight of Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis.

The Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Task force will be led by Deputy Chief Constable Wendy Gunney, who is the National Lead for Serious Organised Crime at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

The task force will be responsible for delivering progress on recent recommendations made by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), following an inspection of the approach to tackling organised immigration crime across the UK.

The inspection, commissioned in January 2024 by the then Home Secretary, looked at police force performance to organised immigration crime between January 2024 and July 2024.

It found that while progress has been made, more must be done, with HMICFRS setting out ten key recommendations, including the need for more effective action against smuggling gangs based in the UK.

This new approach will ensure all police forces work alongside the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force to treat this crime type as a priority.

In practice, this will mean better information-sharing and more coordinated tasking, ensuring UK policing is able to use every tool at its disposal to prevent organised criminal networks from undermining UK immigration law, and working to identify and dismantle any smuggling gangs operating from a UK base.

Dan said: “This sends a clear message that the UK is serious about protecting our borders and upholding the rule of law.

“Our new task force is an important step in the fight against organised immigration crime.

Uniting police forces with national agencies will bring much-needed focus and coordination to dismantling smuggling networks.”