09 January 2025 , 09:42
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New sanctions will target the finances of people smuggling networks in government attempts to stop migrants crossing the English Channel.
The planned measures aim to disrupt the flow of money and make it harder for ringleaders to profit from the deadly trade.
It will be the world’s first standalone sanctions regime dedicated to targeting irregular migration and organised immigration crime.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "We must dismantle the crime gangs facilitating breaches of our borders."
He said that "crippling illicit finance rings allowing smugglers to traffic vulnerable people across Europe" would help "secure UK borders".
The new scheme is expected to come into force within this year.
While the details are unclear, the scheme will likely follow similar lines as other sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans for people or firms where there are "reasonable grounds to suspect" involvement in people smuggling.
The sanctions would prevent them using UK financial institutions to invest or move money around.
If the new scheme is in line with the UK’s other regimes, such as those aimed at tackling terrorism, cyber attacks or Russians linked to the war in Ukraine, breaches of sanctions could be a criminal offence, punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "This will help to prevent, combat, deter and disrupt irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants into the UK."
Alongside this plan, the Foreign Office expects to work together with international allies to combat people smugglers.
The Labour government has put international co-operation at the heart of its plans to address the migrant crisis after scrapping the Tory plan to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
Sir Keir will discuss the issue with France’s Emmanuel Macron on Thursday after the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats was 25% higher in 2024 than 2023.
Some 36,816 people made the journey in 2024, up from 29,437 the year before.
The total is down 20% on the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022, however.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Since coming into power, we have taken swift and robust action to smash the gangs, working with international partners to track down and disrupt dangerous criminal networks.
"With these new sanctions, we will target those profiting off putting lives at risk and disrupt the gangs’ finances, making it harder for them to operate."
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused Labour of having "no credibility" in dealing with people-smuggling.
She said: "In Parliament they voted against tougher punishments and life sentences for people smugglers, abolished the Rwanda deterrent and campaigned in favour of the rights of dangerous criminals and foreign national offenders, over the safety of the British people.
"The last Conservative government legislated to tackle illegal migration and worked with international partners to bring criminals to justice, disrupt their activities and secure arrests, prosecutions and convictions."