The home secretary also suggested she hoped to fast-track claims from those seeking asylum from countries deemed safe, and remove them more quickly from the UK, as well as potentially adding more countries to the list of safe places where people should return.
Cooper denied migration had fallen down the government’s priority list, even though there was no specific “milestone” target set by the prime minister.
She told the : “We have made clear border security… is one of the foundations. We have made it clear we need to reduce both legal migration and illegal migration, it is a clear priority for the government in terms of tackling these dangerous boat crossings.”
As she prepared for meetings with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s government in Rome to discuss cooperation on illicit finance of the people smuggling trade, Cooper said the government’s approach to tackling illegal migration was “step by step… we are being very clear and straight with people about the complexity of this, because the gimmicks did not work”.
The meeting with her Italian counterpart, Matteo Piandetosi, came at the end of a week of diplomacy on border control.
According to a Home Office readout of their talks, Cooper and Piandetosi spoke about the importance of “taking an end to end approach” when it comes to tackling irregular migration.
The two leaders are said to have agreed to follow-up with commitment from both prime ministers in September to “follow the money” when it concerns the illicit financing of people-smuggling gangs.
Earlier this week, Germany and the UK agreed on a deal to tighten Berlin’s law to make it easier to prosecute those helping to smuggle people into the UK.
Under the new agreement, the Home Office says Germany has pledged to make the activity a clear criminal offence.
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg airs on One at 09:00 GMT on Sunday 15 December
