Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

New laws target suspected people smugglers with strict restrictions

Charity says 2024 was deadliest ever year for Channel crossings

New laws target suspected people smugglers with strict restrictions

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

SUSPECTED UK people smugglers could face travel bans and swifter social media and mobile phone curbs, under government plans announced Thursday (2) to reduce cross-Channel migrant arrivals by boat.

The Home Office announced the plan to impose new interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) on smugglers before they have been criminally charged, the day after figures showed soaring arrival numbers in 2024.


Around 36,816 people were detected crossing the Channel last year, a 25 per cent increase from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, according to provisional figures from the office.

Currently, imposing SCPOs on criminals, including people smugglers, involves "a complex and lengthy process" that the government said was "restricting the use of this powerful tool".

The planned interim orders -- set to be included in draft legislation introduced in parliament in the coming weeks -- would allow law enforcement agencies to ask a court to impose immediate restrictions while a full order is considered.

Suspects can be banned from using a laptops or mobile phones, accessing social media networks, associating with certain people, or accessing their finances under the orders.

Breaching an interim order could lead to up to five years in prison, the interior ministry said.

SCPOs have been used since 2008 typically to disrupt various types of serious criminality, including knife crime, slavery and trafficking.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said people smugglers "are profiting from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk" and "cannot be allowed to get away with it".

"We will give law enforcement stronger powers they need to pursue and stop more of these vile gang networks," she said.

However, the interim orders plan faced immediate pushback from some civil liberties campaigners.

Tory MP David Davis, a former cabinet minister, told The Times newspaper it "sounds unnecessarily draconian".

"We'll have to go through the fine text but there's a reason for the process for charging and arrest being properly sequenced before you can do other things and that's to protect the liberty of ordinary law abiding people," he said.

Meanwhile, the Refugee Council on Thursday criticised the UK government's efforts to curb cross-Channel migrant journeys, after last year saw the highest number of recorded deaths in its waters.

The charity said in a new report that the government's stepped-up enforcement efforts had made the crossings "even more dangerous" as smugglers respond by cramming more people "into less seaworthy boats".

It urged ministers to "adopt a mixed approach that combines enforcement with the introduction of safe and legal routes".

(Agencies)

More For You

Andrew Tate Sued by Ex-Girlfriend Brianna Stern Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Tate’s attorney, Joseph McBride, has dismissed the lawsuit

Getty

Andrew Tate faces sexual assault lawsuit from ex-girlfriend Brianna Stern

Social media personality Andrew Tate is facing a new lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend, Brianna Stern, who has accused him of sexual assault, battery, and gender violence. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, details allegations of abuse and an incident that allegedly took place at The Beverly Hills Hotel on 11 March 2025.

Allegations in the lawsuit

According to the legal complaint, Stern claims that Tate initially appeared as a "dream come true" but later became emotionally and physically abusive. The lawsuit describes a violent encounter at the hotel, where she alleges Tate physically assaulted and threatened her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices of Faith 2025: A journey through spirituality and wisdom

Soumik Datta (R) and Gurdain Singh Rayatt

Voices of Faith 2025: A journey through spirituality and wisdom

Mahesh Liloriya

The inaugural edition of Voices of Faith commenced on Friday at the iconic Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, marking the beginning of an extraordinary three-day festival exploring theological philosophies, interfaith dialogues, and the deeper essence of spirituality through conversations, music, and healing vibes.

Organised by Teamwork Arts, the creators of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and JLF London, Voices of Faith is presented by the Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust, with the support of Tech Mahindra. Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat serve as the official media partners of this landmark event. This unique festival seeks to offer insights into navigating the complexities of modern life through the timeless wisdom enshrined in global religious traditions. It focuses on the universal ideals of compassion and interconnectedness that underpin the world’s faiths, fostering dialogue that transcends barriers and deepens mutual understanding.

Keep ReadingShow less
Court reopens Asian child sex offender's deportation case

Home Office successfully challenged a ruling that allowed him to remain in Britain (Photo for representation: iStock)

Court reopens Asian child sex offender's deportation case

A PAKISTANI man convicted of sexually assaulting a child under 13 will face a fresh deportation hearing after the Home Office successfully challenged a ruling that allowed him to remain in Britain, reported The Times.

The offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had initially won his case to stay in the UK after claiming he would face "inhuman or degrading treatment" if sent back to Pakistan due to his alcoholism.

Keep ReadingShow less
India launches Operation Brahma to aid quake-hit Myanmar

Rescue teams work to save residents trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay on March 29, 2025. (Photo by SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

India launches Operation Brahma to aid quake-hit Myanmar

INDIA has swiftly responded to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar by launching Operation Brahma, sending emergency relief and rescue teams to the disaster-stricken nation.

A C-130J military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed in Yangon on Saturday (29), carrying 15 tonnes of relief supplies including hygiene kits, blankets and food parcels. The aid mission comes after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday (28), killing more than 1,000 people and injuring nearly 2,400 others.

Keep ReadingShow less
Britain’s happiness crisis: UK hits record low in global wellbeing rankings

Pakistan stands at 109th place out of 147 countries

Britain’s happiness crisis: UK hits record low in global wellbeing rankings

THE UK has experienced a significant blow to its national morale, plummeting to 23rd place in the World Happiness Report for 2025 – its lowest ranking ever – despite being the world’s sixth richest nation.

Released to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness last Thursday (20), the report provided a nuanced exploration of national contentment that extends far beyond economic measurements.

Keep ReadingShow less