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The UK government has introduced a new criminal offense of endangering lives at sea, which carries jail terms of up to five years. The move forms part of a package of measures aimed at tackling gangs involved in human trafficking prior to their launching abduction operations.
Other measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill aim to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to pursue gangs as they prepare to smuggle people into the UK, rather than having to wait to charge them with crimes after crossing.
The proposed powers are based on legal principles that have been used for two decades to apprehend suspected terrorists at much earlier stages of their planning. One of these measures is a crime of being involved in the handling or selling of boat parts where there is suspicion the trade is for people smuggling. People who promote crossings and take bookings could also face prosecution.
Border officials will also have powers to seize migrants’ phones to gain intelligence about who helped them cross the Channel.
Asylum and refugee campaigners say the measures will not end movement, while law enforcement officials say they have wanted new powers to tackle people smuggling.
Underlining the importance of the powers, Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, said the measures “will underpin our enforcement action across the system, and together with our strengthened relationships with international partners, we will bring down these gangs once and for all.”
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