logo
The UK says it will sanction those who enable migrant journeys across the English Channel

The UK says it will sanction those who enable migrant journeys across the English Channel

Independent4 days ago
Members of people-smuggling gangs who send migrants across the English Channel in flimsy boats will face U.K. financial sanctions under measures announced Monday by the British government.
The U.K. said the new powers target smugglers and those who supply them with money and equipment. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the measures are 'the world's first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers.'
Those in breach of the rules can have U.K. assets seized, be barred from using British banks and be banned from entering Britain. The first sanctions under the new powers are due to be announced on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said.
The government said the new rules are authorized by existing sanctions legislation. British lawmakers won't get a chance to debate them until they return from a summer break in September.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party government has pledged to stop criminal gangs sending thousands of migrants each year on perilous journeys across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Starmer has said the crime gangs are a threat to global security and should be treated like terror networks.
It's unclear how effective the measures will be, since British authorities can only freeze assets that are in the United Kingdom, and most of the smugglers are based elsewhere.
Sanctions are one tool in an arsenal of measures that includes beefed-up U.K. border surveillance and increased law-enforcement cooperation with France and other countries.
So far the moves have had little impact. Some 37,000 people crossed the channel in 2024, and more than 22,000 so far in 2025 – an increase of about 50% from the same period last year. Dozens of people have died attempting the journey.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

221 MPs call for Britain to recognise Palestinian state amid starvation in Gaza
221 MPs call for Britain to recognise Palestinian state amid starvation in Gaza

The Independent

time17 minutes ago

  • The Independent

221 MPs call for Britain to recognise Palestinian state amid starvation in Gaza

Some 221 MPs from across different political parties have joined forces to call on the Government to recognise a Palestinian state. The MPs urge the Government to take the step ahead of a United Nations conference in New York next week. This follows France's announcement on Thursday evening it will formally recognise Palestine at a UN summit in September. The MPs' letter, co-ordinated by Sarah Champion – Labour chairwoman of the International Development Select Committee, said: 'We are expectant that the outcome of the conference will be the UK Government outlining when and how it will act on its long-standing commitment on a two-state solution; as well as how it will work with international partners to make this a reality.' Parliamentarians from Labour, the Conservatives, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independents are among those who signed the letter. Senior signatories include Labour select committee chairs Liam Byrne, Dame Emily Thornberry and Ruth Cadbury, the Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as Tory former minister Kit Malthouse, and Sir Edward Leigh, Parliament's longest-serving MP. The majority of those who have signed, 131, are Labour MPs. Rotherham MP Ms Champion acknowledged 'recognition alone will not end the suffering in Gaza or the rapid expansion of settlements and settler violence in the West Bank'. But she said it would be an important step on the path towards a two-state solution to end the war. The Labour MP added: 'Recognition would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people, that they are not alone and they need to maintain hope that there is a route that leads to lasting peace and security for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people.' Ministers have faced growing calls to recognise a Palestinian state immediately amid mounting global anger over the starving population in Gaza. Sir Keir Starmer said on Friday evening that such a move needed to be part of the 'pathway' to peace in the Middle East, which he and allies are working towards. 'That pathway will set out the concrete steps needed to turn the ceasefire so desperately needed, into a lasting peace,' the Prime Minister said. He added: 'Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis. The PM also said: 'The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting. 'The continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible. In a statement released on Friday alongside the leaders of France and Germany, the Prime Minister urged 'all parties to bring an end to the conflict by reaching an immediate ceasefire'. Sir Keir, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also called for Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza. Charities operating in Gaza have said Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation, warning that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'. Israel says it allows enough aid into the territory and faults delivery efforts by UN agencies, which say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of security. As he left for Scotland on Friday, US President Donald Trump suggested that Mr Macron's announcement that France would recognise Palestinian statehood was unimportant. 'What he says doesn't matter', Mr Trump told reporters at the White House. Sir Keir will meet the US president during his five-day private trip to Scotland, due to kick off on Friday. US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday, with Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Hamas-led militants based in Gaza abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed about 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It does not distinguish between militants and civilians.

Man charged with murdering great-grandparents in Merseyside arson attack
Man charged with murdering great-grandparents in Merseyside arson attack

BreakingNews.ie

time17 minutes ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Man charged with murdering great-grandparents in Merseyside arson attack

A man has been charged with the murder of two great-grandparents who died after an arson attack on their home. Eric Greener, 77, and his partner Sheila Jackson, 83, died following the fire at their home in St Helens, Merseyside, in the early hours of July 15th. Advertisement Lee Owens, 46, of no fixed address, was charged with two counts of murder and arson with intent to endanger life on Friday, Merseyside Police said. He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Saturday. A 31-year-old man from St Helens who was arrested on suspicion of murder remains on conditional bail, the force said. Merseyside Police said an accelerant was used to start the blaze at the home on South John Street, where the couple had lived for 15 years. Advertisement The pair were rescued from their home and taken to hospital after emergency services were called at 12:40am on July 15th. Mr Greener died on Wednesday night, while Ms Jackson died on Thursday morning. In a tribute released on Thursday, the victims' family said they were 'the life and soul of the party' and would 'forever be devastatingly missed but eternally loved'. Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath previously described the arson attack as 'sickening' and 'a truly shocking incident'. Advertisement

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store