Crackdown on People Smugglers Using Social Media

The UK government has unveiled plans to impose a five-year prison sentence on people smugglers who use social media to promote their illicit services to migrants entering Britain illegally. This initiative, announced under Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration, comes amid mounting political and public pressure to stem the tide of illegal migrants arriving from France via small boats, a voyage undertaken by over 25,000 individuals so far this year.

Research by the Interior Ministry reveals that approximately 80% of these migrants had employed social media to find or communicate with smugglers during their journey. The new offence, soon to be enshrined in current parliamentary legislation, targets those who advertise services facilitating breaches of immigration laws, with penalties of up to five years in prison and substantial fines.

While facilitating illegal immigration to Britain is already a criminal offence, the government asserts that this measure will equip law enforcement agencies with a novel tool to disrupt the criminal networks profiting from organizing these perilous crossings. The measure complements recent government actions, such as sanctions that enable asset freezes and travel bans against those involved in enabling irregular migration.

(With inputs from agencies.)