In a worrying revelation, intelligence documents suggest that Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, is using private militias to manipulate and “weaponise” immigration into Europe.
The Kremlin’s alleged influence over major routes into the continent has prompted border police to issue warnings of intensified efforts as the spring season approaches, sparking fears that the move is part of a broader strategy to destabilise Europe.
The Telegraph reports that these intelligence documents outline plans for Russian agents to establish a “15,000-man strong border police force,” comprised of former militias from Libya, with the primary objective of controlling the flow of migrants.
A security source, speaking to The Telegraph, emphasised the potential impact on elections.
They said: “If you can control the migrant routes into Europe, then you can effectively control elections, because you can restrict or flood a certain area with migrants in order to influence public opinion at a crucial time.”
The revelation comes at a time when migration is expected to be a pivotal issue in the upcoming general election.
The failure to control the influx of migrants into the UK has become a significant weakness for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is grappling with challenges in implementing a scheme to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda in an effort to curb the flow of small boats across the Channel.
Official figures reveal a concerning trend, with 52,530 illegal migrants recorded as entering the UK in the year leading up to June 2023, marking a 17 percent increase from the previous year.
The majority of these arrivals opted for the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats. Thursday’s released statistics also highlighted a record-high number of people granted asylum in the UK in 2023, as officials expedited thousands of applications to address a substantial post-pandemic backlog.
