The UK government is taking aim at people-smuggling gangs using social media to lure migrants with false promises, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Sunday. Under new plans announced over the weekend, anyone who creates or shares online content encouraging illegal entry into the UK could face up to five years in prison and hefty fines.
The new offence, the report said, is part of the Britain government’s border security bill currently moving through Parliament. While helping illegal immigration is already a crime, ministers say this law will give police and prosecutors stronger tools to disrupt smugglers’ operations online.
‘Nothing Short of Immoral,’ Says Home Secretary
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the goal is to tackle the growing use of digital platforms by criminal gangs. “Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country — whether on or offline — simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral,” she said, per AP.
The government believes social media has become a key tool for smugglers who use videos and ads to convince desperate migrants to make the dangerous journey across the English Channel.
Starmer Government Under Pressure
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government has been in power for a year and is under mounting pressure to stem the rising number of small boat crossings. More than 25,000 people have reportedly reached British shores by boat so far in 2025 — up 50% from the same period last year.
Starmer has described smuggling gangs as a threat to global security and believes they should be treated like terror networks. His administration has increased surveillance at the border, frozen smugglers’ assets, and stepped up cooperation with France.
Critics Say Plan Lacks Results
However, his opponents have argued that the approach is falling short. “This is a panicked attempt to look tough after months of doing nothing,” AP quoted Conservative immigration spokesman Chris Philp as saying as he criticised Starmer’s decision to cancel the previous government’s Rwanda deportation plan.
Meanwhile, thousands of asylum seekers remain stuck in temporary housing, often hotels, without the right to work — a situation that continues to spark local unrest and anti-immigration protests.
The government says clearing the asylum backlog will take time, but insists its new crackdown is a vital part of tackling the root of the crisis.
