Gangs involved in facilitating people smuggling to the UK will be at risk of having their assets frozen and being banned from travelling to Britain, under new powers announced by the Foreign Secretary Tuesday.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated that it will impose the first wave of sanctions on gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration to the UK, as well as their enablers, such as financiers and companies involved in the sale of small boat equipment.
The regime will be the world’s first dedicated to targeting people smuggling and organised immigration crime.
FCDO warned that migrants who pay people-smugglers are also at a high risk of working in modern slavery conditions in the informal economy, being returned to their home country, or losing their lives at sea.
Sanctions can disrupt the flow of money and materials – including freezing property, bank accounts and other assets – which allow organised criminal gangs to facilitate irregular migration to the UK. Sanctions are designed to reach individuals located anywhere in the world, who will be publicly named so that it is illegal for the UK financial system to engage with them.
FCDO said it has been working closely with investigators at the National Crime Agency, Border Security Command, and other key partners to identify the most impactful targets, with the first sanctions planned for Wednesday.
The first targets will include the supply of small boats being used on cross-Channel journeys, the trade in fake passports, gang leaders as well as middlemen facilitating payments through Hawala networks.
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