Government plans to tighten online regulations against the advertisement of illegal small boat crossings
In the UK, a rising concern has been the record number of migrants arriving in the country after crossing the English Channel. The Government is taking action to address this issue, as the number of arrivals for the year has surpassed 25,000, a record for this point in the year.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill aims to tackle illegal entry to the UK by creating a new offence, expanding its scope to combat such activities. This new offence, known as "illicit spotting," addresses practices that facilitate illegal crossings, such as the small boat Channel crossings. Individuals who track Border Patrol movements to aid smugglers could face up to ten years in prison.
Criminals have been using brazen tactics on social media to lead migrants to life-threatening situations, and the Government is determined to stop these activities. For instance, a Preston-based smuggler was recently jailed for 17 years for posting videos of migrants thanking him for his help, which could have been targeted under the proposed offence.
The bill also strengthens enforcement against illegal working by increasing penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers and those who submit false information to the employment verification system like E-Verify. It mandates nationwide E-Verify adoption and restricts illegal work advertised on social media by creating harsher consequences for such activities.
The Conservative Party has proposed their Deportation Bill as a solution to tackle small boat crossings. This bill aims to detain illegal arrivals immediately and remove them without delay. However, the Labour Party has been criticized for having no clear plan to deter illegal entry, no effective enforcement, and no strategy to speed up removals.
The National Crime Agency has been actively removing social media posts promoting small boat crossings. In 2024 alone, they removed over 8,000 such posts. Around 80% of migrants arriving to the UK by small boat told officials they used social media during their journey, including to contact agents linked to people smuggling gangs.
The proposed offence would also outlaw the promise of illegal working being promoted online and could carry a large fine. Albanian smugglers who offer "package deals" for accommodation and a job in the UK on arrival would be within the scope of the proposed offence.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country, just to make money, is immoral. NCA director general of operations Rob Jones believes the proposed new offence will provide more ways to target people smuggling gangs.
The Government is determined to do everything it can to stop these criminals, wherever they operate. The Conservatives, however, criticize the proposed offence as "too little, too late." They argue that focused action, not more dithering, is what the British public deserve.
- Despite the escalating issue of migrants arriving in the UK through small boat Channel crossings, the Government's proposed Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces a new offence termed "illicit spotting" to deter such activities.
- Increasing penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers and those submitting false information to the employment verification system, such as E-Verify, is a part of the newly proposed policy-and-legislation to combat illegal entry and working in the UK.
- The Labour Party faces criticism for lacking a clear plan to deter illegal entry, inadequate enforcement, and a slow strategy to speed up removals, resonating with the Conservative Party's demand for focused action instead of delay in addressing the escalating conflicts linked with crime-and-justice and general-news, including the record number of migrants arriving in the UK.
