UK introduces tougher measures to combat Channel crossings and people smuggling
The UK government has announced stricter measures to tackle people smuggling, including a new criminal offence for endangering lives at sea, punishable by up to five years in prison, the BBC reported.
The Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill also introduces harsher penalties for those aiding smuggling operations, with offenders facing up to 14 years in jail.
The UK saw 36,816 people cross the English Channel in small boats in 2024, the second-highest annual total on record, after 45,755 arrivals in 2022. Since 2018, when records began, more than 150,000 people have arrived via small boats. So far in 2025, 1,554 people have crossed.
According to Home Office figures, Afghans made up the largest group of small-boat arrivals in 2024, followed by Syrians, Iranians, Vietnamese, and Eritreans. Together, these five nationalities accounted for 61% of total arrivals.
The number of people seeking asylum in the UK has also reached a record high, with 108,130 applications in 2024, the highest since records began in 1979. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran were the top three countries of origin for asylum seekers.
The backlog of asylum cases remains high, with 124,802 people awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2024. While this represents a 5% decrease from 2023, it remains above pre-2022 levels.
Meanwhile, migrant deaths in the Channel reached a record high in 2024, with 78 fatalities, bringing the total to 225 deaths since 2018, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Under the new immigration policy, asylum seekers who enter the UK via irregular routes, such as small-boat crossings, will normally be denied citizenship, a move expected to affect at least 71,000 people.
