LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The UK Government has announced a 100 million pound investment in border security targeting networks profiting from smuggling migrants on dangerous small boats.
The Home Office said funding will pay for recruiting up to 300 extra National Crime Agency officers, state-of-the art detection technology and new equipment to smash the networks putting lives at risk in the Channel.
The investment will see the Border Security Command, the NCA, the police and other law enforcement agency partners receive a significant cash injection to strengthen investigations targeting smuggling kingpins and disrupt their operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
The package will boost existing law enforcement operations and allow more intelligence to be gathered on organised immigration crime gang members, support upstream capacity building, purchase sophisticated technology and equipment to strengthen UK border security and disrupt the people-smuggling gangs.
NCA recently arrested and prosecuted major smuggling gang kingpins, seized more than 600 small boats and engines, and disrupted a further 351 criminal gangs.
The NCA announced their biggest people-smuggling raid and seizure of boat engines in Bulgaria last week.
The package will include funding to support the new pilot of the 'one-in, one-out' returns agreement between the UK and France, which for the first time will see migrants who arrive illegally on small boats returned to France.
Funding will also go to the recently-established Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce, which is driving law enforcement operations targeting the elements of organised immigration crime activity operating out of the UK, from the facilitation of boat crossings to the running of modern slavery networks.
The investment will also support the new powers that will be introduced when the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill becomes law, which will include the introduction of a UK-wide offence to criminalize the creation and publication of online material that promotes a breach of immigration law, such as the advertisement of small boat crossings on social media.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government has developed a serious and comprehensive plan to dismantle the small boat smuggling gangs' business model, from disrupting their supply chains across the European continent to clamping down on their illegal working operations in the UK.
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