Migrant smuggling gang leaders and companies supplying small boat equipment will face having their assets frozen and being banned from Britain this week in a crackdown on illegal Channel crossings.
The Foreign Office will on Wednesday impose the first wave of sanctions on people trafficking gangs and their enablers, such as financiers, fake passport suppliers, corrupt police officers and public officials, as well as firms selling the equipment used to make the journey from France to the UK.
“Middlemen" who put cash through the Hawala system, a legal money transfer system which is used in payments linked to Channel crossings, will also be targeted.
The “world first” measures will see those sanctioned named publicly by the Government and it will be illegal for UK businesses or banks to deal with them.
The Standard reported in June that Foreign Secretary David Lammy had accelerated plans to crack down on criminals who traffic migrants to Britain as small boat crossings hit record numbers.
More than 21,000 people have made the dangerous crossing this year so far - a 56% increase on the same period in 2024.
On Tuesday, Mr Lammy announced that the first raft of sanctions will be introduced to target anyone involved in assisting illegal immigration to the UK. They are expected to include more than 20 designations in steps to tackle the multi-billion-dollar industry.
"For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK,” Mr Lammy said.
“We will not accept this status quo. That's why the UK has created the world's first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers.
"From tomorrow, those involved will face having their assets frozen, being shut off from the UK financial system and banned from travelling to the UK."
It follows legislation being introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to ramp up enforcement powers for police forces and other authorities to investigate and prosecute people smugglers.
The fresh measures aim to target organised crime gangs wherever they are in the world and disrupt their flow of cash, including freezing bank accounts, property and other assets.
Foreign Office officials are understood to be working with other authorities in other EU and Commonwealth countries to identify further suspects.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "It will allow us to target the assets and operations of people smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks piece by piece.
"Through the Border Security Command and key partners like the National Crime Agency, we are strengthening our ties with other nations to tackle this global problem.
"Together, we are sending a clear message that there is no hiding place for those who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk for profit."
