Overview
- A new offence under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act takes effect on Monday, criminalising social media adverts for illegal routes with a maximum five-year sentence.
- The National Crime Agency’s Online Communications Centre will proactively investigate thousands of accounts after more than 10,000 accounts, pages and posts linked to smuggling were removed last year.
- Home Office examples include multilingual posts such as a Pashto TikTok offering a one-hour “jet boat” from France to London for $4,000 and a Stories-style ad promising “safe reach London UK” by truck from France.
- Government figures show 933 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, with no recorded crossings since 20 January.
- Ministers highlight international efforts including cooperation with China to curb boat engine supplies, noting about 60% of motors used last year were made in China, and continue a France exchange pilot that has brought 350 people to the UK versus 281 removals.