The UK has announced a deal with Turkey to enhance co-operation on tackling illegal migration, which includes a new operational "centre of excellence" to be established by the Turkish National Police.
The plan was announced late yesterday as part of its attempts to reduce illegal migration to the UK, a key political issue.
The new UK-backed centre will "enrich existing expertise in both countries with respect to activities aimed at disrupting criminal networks organising illegal journeys", according to a statement from the interior ministry.
The UK will also deploy more officers in Turkey to disrupt the criminal gangs who run the illegal migration routes.
The two countries reiterated their commitment to work together to tackle the problem and to strengthen co-operation with countries of origin and transit.
The UK government is under particular pressure to stop migrants making illegal crossings of the Channel.
"As I've made clear, we must do everything we can to smash the people smuggling gangs and stop the boats," said interior minister Suella Braverman as her department announced the deal.
"Our partnership with Turkey, a close friend and ally, will enable our law enforcement agencies to work together on this international problem and tackle the small boat supply chain," she added.
The new plan will feature heavily at the upcoming UK-Turkey Migration Dialogue meeting, due to take place in London later this year.
The UK's immigration minister Robert Jenrick said about the deal: "We will be intensively sharing intelligence, people and technology to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling gangs and the manufacture and supply of materials which enable small boat crossings.
"Having met our partners in Europe, North Africa and indeed Turkey recently, I've seen first-hand the benefits our increased co-operation has on stopping the boats.
"I am determined that the UK is a leading force in tackling illegal migration and a partner to all those allies who share our determination to defeat it."
The new operational centre will aim to strengthen collaboration between the National Crime Agency and Home Office Intelligence staff based in Turkey and their Turkish counterparts.
According to the Home Office, the export of small boats and boat parts across the continent of Europe in order to facilitate illegal crossings to the UK is a vital element of people smugglers' tactics.
It said it is estimated that hundreds of small boats and boat parts are transported through Europe each year for this purpose.
The deal comes after Mr Jenrick's visit to Turkey last month, where he visited the Turkish-Bulgarian Border Check Point at Kapikule - the largest and busiest border crossing point in Europe.
The announcement is also one of a series the UK government will be making as part of its "stop the boats" week.
On Monday, and after weeks of delays, the first 15 asylum seekers boarded the Bibby Stockholm barge.
Around 50 people were expected to move onboard the giant vessel, docked in Portland Port in Dorset, but around 20 were granted a last-minute reprieve after a series of legal challenges.
The British government also announced the launch of a new interdepartmental team, the Professional Enablers Taskforce, which will work with industry bodies and law enforcement to "increase enforcement action against lawyers who help migrants exploit the immigration system".
The task force drew criticism, though, with the Law Society accusing the UK government of "lawyer-bashing" with the announcement of work that is not new.
UK's Justice Secretary Alex Chalk defended the Whitehall unit, for which there is no new funding, insisting it will ensure advocates who are found to be responsible for submitting fraudulent claims are "convicted, punished and disgraced".
Reporting: AFP/PA
