The UK government on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 24 individuals and one company accused of involvement in people smuggling networks, in a renewed effort to curb illegal migration via small boats.
The move comes as migrant crossings across the English Channel have surged nearly 50% in the first half of 2025, reaching 20,000 compared to the same period last year. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who took office in 2024, had vowed to dismantle the criminal networks facilitating irregular migration.
The new sanctions, part of a regime first proposed in January, aim to disrupt global smuggling operations by targeting suppliers, document forgers, and money handlers. Sanctioned individuals will face asset freezes and banking restrictions.
“We are taking the fight to people smugglers, wherever they are—from Europe to Asia,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. “We will make them pay for their crimes.”
Among those named were seven Iraqi-linked individuals allegedly involved in smuggling operations, eight Balkan nationals accused of supplying fake passports, and a Chinese company advertising boats specifically for smuggling purposes. Britain also targeted suspected ringleaders based in Belgium and Serbia, described as “gangland bosses.”
Separately, the Home Office announced it would begin sharing the locations of asylum seeker accommodations with food delivery companies to crack down on illegal employment often arranged by smuggling gangs, reports Reuters.
