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German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: GETTY)
Sir Keir Starmer will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on his first official visit to the UK today.
Berlin agreed last year to make facilitating the smuggling of migrants to the UK a criminal offence in a move that will give law enforcements more powers to investigate the supply and storage of small boats to be used for Channel crossings.
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Mr Merz is expected to use the visit to commit to adopting the law change by the end of the year.
Sir Keir said: "Chancellor Merz's commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome.
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"As the closest of allies, we will continue to work closely together to deliver on the priorities that Brits and Germans share."
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It comes as the PM has been pushing to boost ties with EU countries in a bid to tackle the small boats crisis.
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Britain’s jobless rate has struck its highest level for four years as workers also faced another slowdown in wage growth, official figures have shown.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of UK unemployment increased to 4.7% in the three months to May, from 4.6% in three months to April.
It said this marked the highest level since June 2021.
Meanwhile, average earnings growth, excluding bonuses, slowed to 5% in the period to May to its lowest level for almost three years.
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Starmer speaks about German visit
Keir Starmer and the German Chancellor will speak at a press conference later. But Sir Keir said already: "The progress we are making today is further proof that by investing in our relationships with likeminded friends and partners, we can deliver real change for working people.
“The Treaty we will sign today, the first of its kind, will bring the UK and Germany closer than ever. It not only marks the progress we have already made and the history we share. It is the foundation on which we go further to tackle shared problems and invest in shared strengths.
“Chancellor Merz’s commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome. As the closest of allies, we will continue to work closely together to deliver on the priorities that Brits and Germans share.”
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11 hours ago07:03 Jonathan Walker
Monty Python star moans about Nigel Farage
Monty Python star Eric Idle has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage being “taken seriously” is “appalling to me” after post-Brexit issues meant he was unable to see his Spamalot musical opening in Paris last year.
The 82-year-old comedian told the PA news agency he had now applied for a talent visa in France, where he has a home, in the hope it will help him avoid a similar issue happening again.
Claiming Brexit rules limited his options, he told PA: “Eight years ago, we could go and live in any country in Europe we wanted to and work, and I wasn’t even allowed to vote (in the EU referendum) because I lived here (in the US).
“I mean, (Brexit) was just a terrible con, it was a real con, and (the fact) that Nigel Farago (Farage) still exists anywhere and is taken seriously is appalling to me."
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Germany and UK to sign new deal today
Brits and Germans alike will benefit from a closer partnership on the issues that matter most to them according to the Government, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a comprehensive visit to London today (Thursday 17 July) to revamp the UK-Germany friendship and sign a Bilateral Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
Alongside the Treaty, Germany is expected to make a landmark commitment to make it illegal in Germany to facilitate illegal migration to the UK with the law change to be adopted by the end of the year.
The change will give law enforcement the tools they need to investigate and take action against warehouses and storage facilities used by migrant smugglers to conceal dangerous small boats intended for illegal crossings to the UK. According to Downing Street, this will bolster efforts to prosecute those involved in smuggling and support the dismantling of the criminal networks driving unacceptable and unlawful journeys through Europe.
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