UK Announces New Plan to Stop People Smugglers and Protect Borders

The UK has announced plans to impose economic sanctions on people smugglers to tackle the rise in migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. These sanctions, described as the world’s first of their kind, will target individuals and groups involved in organizing dangerous journeys, the government revealed on Wednesday, January 8.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to officially announce the plan in a speech on Thursday. This comes as the government faces increasing pressure to reduce the number of migrants arriving in small boats from France. Last year, 36,816 people were detected crossing the busy Channel to southeast England, marking a 25% increase from 2023 and the second-highest yearly total recorded.

Illegal immigration has been a hot topic since last July’s general election, which brought Labour to power. It also helped Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party gain significant support. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who scrapped plans by the previous government to send migrants to Rwanda, has vowed to “smash the gangs” responsible for these dangerous crossings.

The new sanctions, set to be implemented within a year after parliamentary approval, aim to disrupt “organized immigration networks.” The foreign ministry stated that sanctions experts will collaborate with law enforcement and the interior ministry to cut off financial resources used by smugglers. The specifics of how this will be done were not detailed.

Currently, sanctions like those targeting Russian officials for the war in Ukraine involve freezing UK-based assets and imposing travel bans. Prime Minister Starmer emphasized the need to dismantle the crime networks enabling illegal border crossings. He stated that the government is committed to saving lives and protecting borders by targeting the financial systems that allow smugglers to operate. “We must be bold and innovative to ensure no option is overlooked,” Starmer said.