The UK Home Office released its latest statistics related to countering illegal migration and announced that, as a result of tightening security measures, they have managed to seize more than 1,000 boats and engines used for illegal crossings.
In an official statement, the Home Office noted that their efforts to “restore the system for the borders” have had clear results. According to the figures, tens of thousands of attempts to cross the English Channel have so far been thwarted, as part of the government’s plan to prevent dangerous sea journeys.
Disrupting organized networks
The Home Office emphasized that not only have boats been blocked, but they have also reached the “sources of the crimes” and arrested thousands of suspects affiliated with organized human-smuggling gangs. This step aims to dismantle those illegal networks that trade in migrants’ lives.
Pressure on smugglers
The statement said: “We are intensifying our pressure on the smuggling gangs to restore security to our borders.” The seizure of more than 1,000 boats and engines is considered a major technical and financial blow to the smugglers, making their process of moving migrants tougher and more costly.
Security observers in the UK say the publication of these figures at this time indicates the new London administration’s insistence on carrying out its pledges to control the borders, at a time when the issue of illegal migration remains one of the biggest challenges facing the UK government.
