About us
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-07)

The Border Security Command provides strategic leadership across the border security system to disrupt the activity of organised crime groups which facilitate irregular migration including small boat crossings.

Who we are

The Border Security Command (BSC) was established on 5 July 2024 and is led by the Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt CBE QPM (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/martin-hewitt). The BSC is leading and driving forward the required step change in the UK’s approach to border security.

It will, for the first time, provide a clear and long-term vision for border security, bringing together and providing leadership to all parts of the system that work to maintain the integrity of the UK’s border and immigration systems, domestically and internationally.

The Border Security Command is based across the UK, working in a wide range of roles including diplomatic, policy and intelligence functions. With the collective agreement of the Home Secretary and Prime Minister, the Border Security Commander will set the government’s strategic priorities for border security working closely with other government departments, including HMRC and FCDO and tasking operational partners, including Border Force, the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and Policing, to deliver on those priorities.

The Border Security Command ensures that the full range of capabilities, including that of the UK intelligence community, are maximised and brought to bear on those exploiting the UK border.

The BSC’s first priority is tackling organised immigration crime (OIC) and making significant reductions in irregular migration to the UK by small boat. The Border Security Command is also developing a long-term vision that will focus not only on OIC but will, in time, flexibly coordinate the UK’s response to a variety of border security threats.

Responsibilities

The immediate focus of the Border Security Command is to lead the border security system to counter the threat from small boat crossings, including threats to life, tackling organised immigration crime and reducing irregular migration to the UK. However, border security and the need for change goes beyond irregular migration and the BSC will, over time, evolve to reflect this.

The Border Security Command is:
- developing and strengthening international partnerships and introducing new ways of working to undermine the business model of organised crime gangs
- investing in international cooperation; the Border Security Command has already secured numerous irregular migration and security agreements with partners around the globe
- overhauling capabilities to disrupt criminal activity through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: giving new powers to seize migrants’ phones to identify smugglers, criminalise those who endanger lives at sea, and stop the exploitation of illegal labour
- building on these achievements through sharing capabilities, intelligence, and knowledge to strengthen cooperation across the whole irregular migration route, from source to destination countries
Priorities

The Border Security Command’s goals are to deliver a safe and effective border. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-border-security-statement/delivering-border-security)

The approach it is taking is based on the United Kingdom’s world leading CONTEST strategy to:

Prevent

Disincentivise individuals and deter organised crime groups from participating in the illegal cross-border movement of people and goods.

Pursue

Disrupt criminals and criminal activity leading to the illegal cross-border movement of people and goods.

Protect

Detect and act on the illegal cross-border movements of people and goods.

Prepare

Manage, learn from and adapt the UK’s response to the illegal cross-border movement of people and goods.