The agreement was signed by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin. According to the UK Home Office, the agreement will enable police officers in both countries to exchange intelligence more quickly and autonomously, helping to identify, disrupt and dismantle organised criminal networks operating across borders.

The agreement addresses delays that could arise under previous arrangements, under which certain information exchanges required judicial approval before intelligence could be shared. It will also strengthen joint investigations and specialist training targeting criminal activity linked to small boat crossings, as well as wider organised crime, including drug and firearms smuggling. The UK Home Office reports that joint enforcement activities between the two countries have already resulted in more than 50 arrests linked to migrant smuggling and more than 40 vehicle seizures in 2026.

The agreement builds on existing operational cooperation between Belgian and UK authorities. Earlier in 2026, a joint investigation involving the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) and Belgian authorities led to the conviction in Belgium of Adem Savas, who was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and fined €400.000 for supplying boats and engines to criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling across the English Channel. 

For further details, please read the press release from the UK Government.