UK Unleashes Sanctions to Deter Migrant Crossings
UK targets smuggling networks with new sanctions
First use of Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime
More than 21,000 migrants have crossed from northern France to southeast England in rudimentary vessels this year, prompting the government to impose restrictions on a dozen individuals, groups and suppliers from the Balkans, the Middle East and China accused of aiding the crossings.
- Sanctions freeze assets and ban travel for four smuggling gangs in the Balkans, two North African groups operating there, and a Chinese company offering small boats for human smuggling.
- Also sanctioned are seven alleged smugglers linked to Iraq and “hawala” money movers in the Middle East.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “We are tackling organised immigration crime across the globe.”
Political pressure on small‑boat arrivals
Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to curb migrant journeys by “smashing the gangs” that facilitate crossings, but the effort has yet to yield significant results. Nearly 24,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in 2025, the highest figure in a single year.
Additional measures to curb illegal migration
- New agreement with delivery platforms Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to share locations of asylum hotels, helping to address unlawful employment.
- Artificial‑intelligence trial to verify disputed ages of asylum seekers claiming to be children.
A cautious view of the sanctions’ impact
RUSI researcher Tom Keatinge cautioned that while the sanctions represent a new front in the UK’s fight against profit‑driven smuggling, their effectiveness remains to be seen.
