UK to sanction people smugglers

Criminal enablers of small-boat migration will face travel bans and asset seizures

The UK will freeze assets and impose entry bans on individuals facilitating unauthorized small-boat crossings across the English Channel, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced on Tuesday.

The measures, set to take effect on Wednesday, come in response to a rise in small-boat crossings from continental Europe to Britain. British officials say the route is increasingly used for unauthorized migration and linked to organized smuggling networks.

“The UK has created the world’s first sanctions regime targeting gangs involved in people smuggling and irregular migration, along with their enablers,” Lammy said, referring to a legal framework introduced in January that allows for asset freezes and travel bans against those involved.

The crackdown follows rising public concern over reports linking some migrants to violent incidents, including alleged sexual assaults. Protests have taken place across the UK, calling for stricter controls at asylum housing centers and greater transparency on offender status. According to the Home Office, nearly 20,000 people arrived in Britain via small boats in the first half of 2025, a 50% increase from 2024 and 75% higher than in 2023.

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Earlier this month, the UK and Germany agreed to strengthen migration cooperation. Berlin pledged to criminalize the storage of boats and engines intended for Channel crossings. The agreement also includes intelligence sharing and coordinated action against smuggling networks. A parallel deal with France allows the UK to return small-boat migrants in exchange for accepting an equal number of vetted asylum seekers through legal channels.

In May, Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed immigration reforms that include stricter English-language requirements, higher visa thresholds, and extending settlement periods to ten years. The plan, aimed at cutting legal migration by 100,000 annually, has not yet become law.

The migrant crisis, fueled by conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, has been exacerbated by Western military interventions, prompting widespread displacement.

The UK is also reportedly considering relocating rejected asylum seekers to “return hubs” in Western Balkan countries, though no deals have been finalized. A similar plan involving Rwanda was dropped due to legal and political opposition.