People smugglers face travel bans, as Channel crossings rise YoY
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
People smugglers face travel bans and restrictions on their mobile phone and social media use under new United Kingdom government proposals as latest figures show that a total 36,816 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in 2024, a 25 per cent increase on 2023 when 29,437 people arrived in small boats.
The Home Office plans using court orders to restrict the activity of those who are suspected of organising small boat crossings in the Channel, including a ban on using laptops, mobile phones and social media sites.
The government has vowed it will “stop at nothing” to dismantle the business models of people smugglers.
Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) can already be sought to curb the movement of people involved in organised immigration crime, but the government has said it wants to go further by introducing new “interim” SCPOs which it says can place “immediate” restrictions on suspects’ activity while a full order is considered by the courts.
Breaching an interim order could lead to up to five years in prison, the Home Office said, per Sky News.
The plans for the new court orders 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.
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.
“Stronger international collaboration has already led to important arrests and action against dangerous gangs over the last few months.
“We will give law enforcement stronger powers they need to pursue and stop more of these vile gang networks.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour “have a cheek claiming to be tough on people smuggling gangs” because they scrapped the previous government’s Rwanda scheme, which would have sent asylum seekers who arrived in small boats to the African nation.
He added: “As the NCA said, what would have stopped the boats would have been a removals deterrent – but Labour cancelled Rwanda before it even started.
“That’s why 29% more illegal immigrants have crossed the channel since the election compared to the same time last year.
“Labour has lost control of our borders.”
The number successfully making the journey across the Channel in 2024 is the second-highest since records began in 2018. The total, however, is down 20% on the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.
The number of people who died while making the hazardous journey across the busiest shipping lane in the world was not published in the Home Office data, though 2024 was considered the deadliest for Channel crossings.
According to the French coastguard, 53 people died across the 12 months.
At least three people died off the coast of Calais on Sunday while attempting to cross to England.
The Refugee Council has urged the government to consider opening up new routes into the UK for people fleeing conflict or persecution.
The Home Office confirmed several schemes were open to refugees fleeing Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
A spokesperson said: “Every life lost at sea is a tragedy, which is why our efforts are focused on saving lives, as well as protecting our borders.
“The people smuggling gangs only care about profit and we are seeing their behaviour adapt, with more people crammed into flimsy and dangerous boats.
“Our joint work with France in preventing crossings is about stopping people putting themselves and others at risk.”
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