UK plans tough laws to fight people smugglers

LONDON (Reuters): Suspected people smugglers will face severe curbs under new laws in Britain, the government said on Thursday, as it steps up efforts to fight illegal migration and strengthen border security.

Those suspected will face travel bans, social media blackouts and restrictions on phone usage to help the government “dismantle organized immigration crime networks,” the statement added.

“We will give law enforcement stronger powers they need to pursue and stop more of these vile gang networks,” interior minister Yvette Cooper said, describing border security as one of the foundations of the government’s recently laid out ‘plan for change’.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, elected to office in July, has prioritized tackling illegal migration by cracking down on the gangs who smuggle people across the English Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, into Britain from France.

Over 36,800 people made the dangerous crossings to arrive in Britain in 2024, a 25 percent year-on-year surge, according to government data. Several dozen have died attempting to do so, with the Refugee Council charity terming it the deadliest year on record for such crossings.

The planned interim serious crime prevention orders (SCPO) will allow immediate action to disrupt and deter suspected serious criminality, including organized immigration crime, the statement said.

The fresh powers are designed to mirror those already used to disrupt other offenses such as knife crime, slavery and trafficking.

Currently, securing an SCPO on suspects can be a complex and lengthy process. The interim orders will speed up the process.