Small boats: Crackdown on suspected smuggling gangs as migrant numbers up
Suspected people smugglers could face travel and social media bans as the government announced a fresh crackdown in its bid to “smash the gangs” and cut arrivals on small boats.
Court orders to restrict the activity of those under investigation for such crimes will be strengthened as part of draft legislation to be introduced in the coming weeks, ministers said.
Suspects could be banned from using a laptop or mobile, accessing social media or finances, or associating with certain people, under new Home Office measures.
Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) can already be sought to curb the movement of people involved in organised immigration crime.
But the government says they are not being used to their full effect and plans to introduce new “interim” SCPOs designed to place “immediate” restrictions on suspects’ activity – with a breach leading to up to five years in prison.
Police and law enforcement bodies would be able to apply directly to the High Court for these orders without going through the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Home Office said.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Dangerous criminal people-smugglers are profiting from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk.
“They cannot be allowed to get away with it… we will give law enforcement the stronger powers they need to pursue and stop more of these vile gang networks.”
The change will be included in the government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is expected to be introduced to Parliament in the coming weeks.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour administration, which entered office in July, faced accusations from opponents of having “lost control of our borders” as Home Office data suggested 36,816 people made the journey last year.
There are usually more small boat arrivals in the second half of the year because the weather in summer and autumn is generally more favourable, with days on which the wind and wave levels in the Channel are most conducive to crossings referred to as “red days”.
Home Office sources said there were 88 such days in the second half of 2024 compared with 50 in the second half of 2023, citing this as the key reason for the difference in the number of arrivals between those periods.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Labour have a cheek claiming to be tough on people smuggling gangs – they voted against higher sentences for these very same smuggling gangs in the last Parliament.
“What would have stopped the boats would have been a removals deterrent – but Labour cancelled Rwanda before it even started.
“That’s why 29 per cent more illegal immigrants have crossed the channel since the election compared to the same time last year. Labour has lost control of our borders.
“Only the Conservatives would introduce a removals deterrent.”
He added: “It is common-sense that if an illegal immigrant knows they will be rapidly removed then they won’t bother crossing in the first place.”