The former police chief will lead efforts to tackle small boats.

Former police chief Martin Hewitt has been appointed to head Britain's new Border Security Command, which will focus on tackling small boat crossings.

As chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Mr Hewitt previously coordinated the actions of UK police forces on matters including terrorism and organized crime.

He will join Sir Keir Starmer on a visit to Rome on Monday, where the prime minister will meet his Italian counterpart Giorgia Maloney to learn from their country's approach to tackling illegal migration.

Italy has recently seen a dramatic drop in the number of migrants making the dangerous crossing from North Africa.

Reducing the number of people crossing the Channel from France in small boats is one of the major challenges facing the new Labor government.

At the end of the week Eight people died in the crossing attempt..

The Border Security Command will bring together intelligence agencies, police and Border Force personnel to tackle smuggling gangs behind small boat passages.

Mr Hewitt led the NPCC between 2019 and 2023 and previously served as Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police.

Downing Street said his experience of coordinating the work of police, government and other agencies, including responding to major security threats and managing the UK's response to the Covid pandemic, was “key to his appointment”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “There will be no more tricks. This Government will tackle the trafficking gangs that trade the lives of men, women and children across borders.

“Martin Hewitt's unique expertise will lead a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our coasts and set up the refuge system.”

Mr Hewitt said: “I am under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead, but I am determined to meet them.

“For too long, criminal gangs that smuggle people through Europe have abused our borders for profit, and are responsible for the deaths of many vulnerable, innocent people.”

During their visit to Rome, Sir Kerr and Mr Hewitt will visit Italy's National Coordination Center for Migration to see how the country responds to illegal migration and discuss future cooperation.

Over the weekend, Sir Keir said he was “interested” in Italy's migration deal with Albania, which would see migrants rescued at sea sent to the Balkan country while their asylum claims are processed. will be done

Asked if he would consider pursuing a similar deal, Sir Kerr said: “Let's see. It's early days, I'm interested to see how it works, my I think everyone else is.”

Reception centers in Albania are due to open later this year after some delays.

After winning power, Labor scrapped the previous Conservative government's plans to send some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda.

Under the Italian agreement, migrants will be able to apply for asylum in Italy while still living in Albania. If refused, they face deportation.

This differs from the now abandoned Rwanda scheme, where asylum seekers were not allowed to return to the UK if their claim was accepted and were instead able to stay in Rwanda.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Ker Starmer has absolutely no plans to stop the boats, and that is why he is now trying to copy others.”

He said Labor had “destroyed this country's crackdown on illegal immigration and signaled to rogue people-smuggling gangs that they are unwilling to take the serious action needed to stop the boats”. .

Frontex, the EU's border force, has calculated a 64 percent drop in people crossing from North Africa to Italy this year.

Central to the decline of crossings in Italy are financial deals with Tunisia and Libya – where most people leave for Europe.

The EU has given Tunisia financial aid to boost border security, while Italy has provided patrol boats and given the government money to support small companies and invest in education and renewable energy.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni, who leads Italy's right-wing coalition, was a close ally of Sir Kiir's conservative predecessor, Rishi Singh.

Sir Kiir's visit comes as he seeks a wider “reset” of relations with Europe after Brexit, and follows meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz and French President Emmanuel Macron.