JUSTICE MINISTER JIM O’Callaghan will attend a summit today in London where European and international ministers will discuss efforts to tackle people smuggling.

Representatives from over 40 countries are also expected to attend the first of its kind summit which has been organised by the UK government.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer is expected to tell the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in London today to work together to stop people-smuggling gangs in the same way they would terrorists.

Starmer is to urge countries affected that they must not allow the “vile trade” to pit them against one another.

“This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another and profits from our inability at the political level to come together,” he will say.

Ministers and enforcement staff will discuss international co-operation on illegal migration, as well as supply routes, criminal finances and online adverts for people smuggling during the meeting.

Officials from social media companies Meta, X and TikTok will also join discussions on how to crack down on the online promotion of irregular migration.

With reporting by PA