STORY
The UK Government has launched a groundbreaking sanctions regime, the first of its kind globally, aimed at dismantling organised criminal gangs responsible for facilitating irregular migration. Announced by the Foreign Secretary on 22 July 2025, the new powers enable the freezing of assets and travel bans for anyone complicit in people smuggling to the UK.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that this marks a “landmark moment” in the Government’s efforts to combat organised immigration crime. He emphasised that the sanctions are designed to reach individuals anywhere in the world, making it illegal for the UK financial system to engage with them. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added that the regime will allow the UK to target the assets and operations of people-smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks.
The new regime complements existing law enforcement efforts and new powers introduced through the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. It is part of the government’s broader ‘Plan for Change’ and a three-pronged strategy to “disrupt, deter, return” irregular migration globally. The Border Security Command has received a significant budget boost to fund specialist investigators and new technology to further disrupt these criminal operations.
The government asserts that the exploitation of vulnerable people by these criminal networks is a key driver of irregular migration to the UK. With nearly 24,000 migrants having made the perilous journey across the Channel so far in 2025, the issue remains a significant challenge. The new sanctions aim to send a clear message that there is “no hiding place” for those who profit from human misery.