People selling and handling boat parts suspected of being used in migrant Channel crossings could face up to 14 years in prison under new laws trying to crack down on people smugglers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has also outlined plans to make endangering another life during a sea crossing to the UK a new offence carrying a five-year jail term under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced to Parliament on Thursday.
Home Office sources said in the last few months there have been instances of “floating crime scenes” where people have acted in such a reckless way people died on board in crushes and drownings.
It comes as part of a raft of new offences and counter-terror powers aimed at helping to stop the smuggling of migrants across the Channel.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously vowed to treat people smugglers as “terrorists” in a bid to curb Channel crossings, but ministers stopped short of setting a target on reducing the number of arrivals via the smuggler route.
So far this year more than 1,000 migrants have made the journey to the UK across the English Channel.
A total of 36,816 people were recorded arriving last year, according to Home Office figures.
The Government is expected to seek to bring the measures into force as soon as possible once the legislation is approved by MPs and Lords, believed to be this year.
Officials believe powers handed to police and other agencies, including to seize and search electronic devices before an arrest if they suspect they contain information about organised immigration crime, will allow them to take more action before crossings happen.
Under the plans, collecting information for smuggling gangs to use for crossings – such as departure points, dates and times – will also be criminalised.
The Safety of Rwanda Act will be scrapped to formally ditch the multimillion-pound deal to send migrants to the east African state, while parts of the Illegal Migration Act will also be repealed.
Powerful new laws have been introduced in Parliament today to smash the gangs and save lives.
Here's how 👇 pic.twitter.com/dUzDRtwy7K
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) January 30, 2025
Ministers will only keep measures from the law for operational reasons, including a cap on the number of people arriving under safe and legal routes, and time periods migrants can be detained.
Ms Cooper said: “This Bill will equip our law enforcement agencies with the powers they need to stop these vile criminals, disrupting their supply chains and bringing more of those who profit from human misery to justice.
“These new counter-terror style powers, including making it easier to seize mobile phones at the border, along with statutory powers for our new Border Security Command to focus activity across law enforcement agencies and Border Force will turbocharge efforts to smash the gangs.”
The new law is expected to make up part of the Government’s approach to tackling the complex issue, while also focusing on international co-operation and continuing removal of migrants without valid asylum claims from the country.
Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, the Home Secretary defended the Government’s handle on the high number of crossings, adding “we’re too dependent on the weather”.
She said: “We should not be in a situation where the number of border crossings is depending on the weather and that’s happened because there’s not been the action against the criminal gangs, and they’ve been able to just take hold along the channel.”
“That’s why we’re so determined with the border security command, with the new powers, but also with the partnership with other European countries to go after those gang operations.”
The Government could end deaths in the channel today with safe routes for people to seek asylum. Instead, today’s Borders Bill will cost yet more lives.
It’s time to #FightForAsylumRights and show the Government that the public won’t let them make these deadly mistakes. pic.twitter.com/YwOQrFDiSx
— Asylum Matters 🧡 (@AsylumMatters) January 30, 2025
Reacting to the Bill, Mubeen Bhutta, from British Red Cross, said: “We welcome the Government’s focus on improving the UK asylum system and its commitment to avoid further loss of life in the Channel.
“However, the legislation announced today does not address one of the fundamental reasons why people put their lives in the hands of people smugglers, which is that there is no way to apply for asylum without already being in the UK.”
Natasha Tsangarides from refugee charity Freedom From Torture added that instead it will make methods refugees use to escape war and persecution “more dangerous”.
Home Office sources added while safe routes need to be working effectively, it cannot be the only answer or an alternative to stopping smuggling gangs.
Asylum Matters executive director Louise Calvey said: “This Bill was a chance to make the change that’s desperately needed in our asylum system: to tackle the backlog, to let people work while they await their asylum decision, to save lives by creating safe ways to seek asylum.
“Instead, the Government has ignored evidence and experts to create a Bill that repeats the same mistakes that have been costing lives and causing immense suffering for years.”