Individuals involved in promoting illegal entry into the UK via social media may now face imprisonment for up to five years, as authorities intensify efforts to curb migrant advertising.
From Monday onwards, immigration officials will gain new powers to pursue those who publish advertisements for migrants, regardless of whether they are directly involved in immigration violations.
This initiative is in response to a notable increase in posts on various platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, with offers for Channel crossings priced between £900 and £5,000.
One particular post, found on an Albanian Facebook page last year, offered summer crossings for a fee of ‘only £2,000.’
Other posts mimic business sales tactics, urging viewers to ‘migrate before it’s too late’ and tempting them with videos of successful crossings and images of British landmarks captioned ‘welcome to London’.
Additionally, migrants have been seen boasting about their successful crossings on social media, urging others to follow suit.
This new measure to combat migrant advertising is part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act introduced by the Labour party last year.
Speaking ahead of the introduction of the new legislation, border security minister Alex Norris said his message to people smugglers is: ‘We are coming after you.’
Pictured: Footage shared by a suspected smuggler of migrants running through a patch of woodland during their journey to the UK last year
A video previously posted on TikTok shows men bragging about making it to the UK after paying £3,000 to cross the Channel
Migrants are often seen celebrating successful crossings. In this footage previously shared on TikTok, they hold an Albanian flag
The National Crime Agency (NCA) Online Communications Centre will trawl through thousands of social media accounts as part of the crackdown.
Immigration authorities already have the power to target social media users, but only if they can prove online content directly led to a migration offence.
The NCA’s work saw more than 10,000 social media accounts, pages and posts linked to people smuggling shut down last year, which was a record according to the Government.
But the new offence will target social media users posting adverts before migrants arrive on UK soil.
It is thought so-called ‘service agents’, middlemen who link migrants up with facilitators for small boats crossings and other routes, could be targeted with the new powers.
‘Social media ads promoting the corrupt promise of a life and work in the UK are truly sickening,’ Mr Norris said.
‘To the people smugglers peddling this content, whether you are selling your vile trade online through ‘golden package deals’, supplying boat equipment or researching routes, we are coming after you.
Migrants are brought ashore at Dover in July after being picked up by a Border Force vessel
‘I will not stop until we’ve restored order and control to our borders.’
One Stories-style post on social media advertised ‘by truck – safe reach London UK’ in two hours from France.
Meanwhile, a TikTok post, written in Pashto, offered a one-hour ‘jet boat’ from France to London at a cost of 4,000 dollars, according to a Government translation.
A third post, a Facebook comment also in Pashto, included a phone number, ‘if anyone wants to go to Turkey, Iran, Iraq, France, Germany, Italy, London, Austria, Switzerland’.
Furthermore, several social media videos uncovered by the i Paper last year showed suspected smugglers celebrating successful crossings with gleeful captions such as ‘Welcome to London’.
One boasted ‘we are masters’ alongside celebratory emojis.
Comment threads are also often used by migrants to contact smugglers.
In one comment to a TikTok clip, a user asks: ‘Guys, how does one reach Britain’, to which a suspected smuggler replies: ‘Message me.’
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to the Border Force compound in Dover in January
The Government continues its effort to clamp down on people smuggling gangs and others helping migrants to make the journey.
Sir Keir Starmer announced during his trip to China that he had negotiated a deal with the Chinese authorities aimed at preventing boat motors made in the country from ending up in the hands of people smugglers.
Some 60 per cent of the boats which crossed the Channel last year had motors made in China.
