Shabana Mahmood Warns Border Failings Are Eroding Trust

Published: 15 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The failure to maintain effective border controls across Europe is undermining public trust in politicians and the very concept of the nation state, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned. Speaking ahead of a high-level summit in London, Mahmood emphasised that international cooperation is essential to tackling irregular migration and restoring confidence in governments’ ability to protect their citizens.

Mahmood is hosting interior ministers from the western Balkans and other European allies on Tuesday, aiming to foster new agreements to curb illegal migration through the increasingly critical Balkan transit routes. She warned that without coordinated action, citizens may lose faith in both political leaders and the credibility of the state itself.

“The public rightly expects that their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave,” Mahmood said. “Today, in this country, and I know in many if not all of yours, that is not the case. And the failure to bring order to our borders is eroding trust not just in us as political leaders … but in the credibility of the state itself.”

Mahmood is also expected to criticise Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and his party for advocating inward-looking approaches to migration. “Illegal migration is a shared threat which requires a strong, joined-up international response,” she said. “To those who think the answer to the challenges that we face is to turn inwards, or back away from international cooperation, I say that in coming together as we are today, we will make all of our borders and our countries stronger.”

The western Balkans—comprising North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo—has become a vital focus for efforts to manage migration across Europe. According to the Home Office, the region has emerged as a major transit corridor for people smugglers and networks trafficking drugs across borders. In 2024 alone, about 22,000 people were reportedly smuggled along Balkan routes by organised gangs.

The London summit is expected to explore ways to disrupt these criminal networks. Measures under discussion include enhanced cooperation between British and European border authorities, intelligence sharing, and joint operations targeting human traffickers and drug smugglers. Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, is attending to outline the UK’s work on dismantling gang supply chains. A session focusing on combating violence against women and girls is also scheduled.

Mahmood’s warning comes amid a backdrop of political debate in the UK over migration and border security. Conservative critics said her comments were “rich” given the government’s perceived difficulties in controlling the country’s own borders. Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, argued that recent months have seen record numbers of illegal crossings of the English Channel. “The first nine months of this year have been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel,” he said.

Philp added that the Conservatives would seek to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), allowing for the immediate removal of all illegal arrivals. “Then the crossings would soon stop,” he claimed, framing the policy as a decisive alternative to current measures.

The Home Secretary’s focus on the western Balkans highlights a growing European concern about irregular migration. In addition to smuggling networks, countries in the region are facing pressure from both refugee flows and economic migrants seeking passage to wealthier nations. Coordinated responses, Mahmood argued, are critical to preventing human suffering and maintaining order.

European partners at the summit are expected to discuss several initiatives, including tighter border checks, shared databases on criminal networks, and enhanced training for border officers. Mahmood has emphasised that tackling illegal migration is not solely about enforcement; it also requires diplomatic engagement, investment in regional stability, and measures to disrupt criminal profiteering from human trafficking.

Observers note that the UK’s leadership role in such discussions is significant. As one of Europe’s largest destinations for migrants and refugees, Britain’s approach can influence broader EU and Balkan strategies. Mahmood’s framing of migration as a shared challenge reflects a recognition that unilateral approaches are insufficient in a region with porous borders and well-established smuggling networks.

Experts have also highlighted the reputational stakes for national governments. Trust in state institutions, including law enforcement and border agencies, is linked not only to security outcomes but to citizens’ confidence in governance more broadly. By failing to manage migration effectively, governments risk political instability and public disillusionment, a concern Mahmood emphasised in her address.

The summit comes at a time when migration is a polarising issue in UK politics. While the Home Office and its European partners advocate for coordinated, multilateral responses, populist parties argue for isolationist policies that focus on national sovereignty over international cooperation. Mahmood’s warning reflects the government’s position that only joint action can ensure both security and legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

By convening ministers from across Europe, the UK hopes to strengthen partnerships, improve intelligence sharing, and implement new agreements aimed at reducing illegal crossings while protecting vulnerable populations. Mahmood stressed that tackling these challenges requires sustained commitment from all participating countries, rather than short-term measures that fail to address the root causes of irregular migration.

As the summit unfolds, attention will also focus on the wider implications for crime prevention, regional stability, and humanitarian obligations. Coordinated efforts in the western Balkans are seen as crucial to ensuring that migration is managed safely, humanely, and efficiently, preventing criminal networks from exploiting vulnerable people and maintaining public confidence in national governments.