Smuggling rings have been uncovered that were helping Iranians reach the UK, then forcing them into labour, including drug trafficking. Meanwhile, arrest rates among members of criminal gangs involved in the illegal smuggling of migrants on small boats have risen.
The investigation, reported in The Sun on Sunday, revealed videos on the platform showing London landmarks accompanied by the slogan “Habibi (my love), come to London.” Apart from that, the videos feature French migrant camps and encourage viewers to call a given phone number to arrange travel.
“Welcome to London. Discover the iconic skyline, the bustling streets, and vibrant energy that never stops,” says one of the videos, accompanied by a woman’s voice.
The account, operating under the name Channel Hope, was created on 18 March, less than three weeks after the start of hostilities, and had published 22 posts addressed directly to Iranian migrants. The account was subsequently blocked on TikTok for violating community guidelines relating to human trafficking.
Smugglers offer migrants the option of paying for the journey after arriving in the UK, with the cost of crossing the border typically amounting to around £2,000. However, many of the boat arrivals ultimately find themselves trapped in illegal employment or forced labour, including involvement in drug trafficking operations.
Since 2018, some 200,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats, 35,000 of whom were Iranians. Deportation to Iran has been virtually unfeasible: only 108 people have been sent back, as the country was deemed too dangerous for return.
A senior Belgian police officer, Christiaan De Ridder, Deputy Chief of West Flanders Police, has called for a naval blockade to stop migrant boats before they enter British waters. He proposed establishing a maritime barrier to prevent the boats from entering French waters, which, in his view, would completely halt the crossings.
Meanwhile, the French side has faced criticism for the fact that rescue vessels continue to escort boats towards British waters rather than intercepting them, despite being aware of the activities of the criminal gangs organising these crossings. This approach has sparked growing discontent in the UK, given the government’s pledge to provide France with £660 million over three years to combat illegal crossings of the English Channel.
Rise in arrests amid crackdown on criminal gangs
New figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) show stepped-up measures to combat organised criminal gangs involved in the illegal smuggling of migrants on small boats have led to a sharp increase in the number of arrests.
Over the past year, the number of arrests for crimes related to human smuggling has risen by 55%. In the year to April 2026, around 300 arrests were made. This figure covers both the UK and other countries. In 2024 and 2025 respectively, 190 such arrests were made and 26 convictions were secured.
NCA Director General of Operations Rob Jones stressed that smashing the gangs “remains a top priority” for the agency, with more resources being poured into the effort “than ever before” to struggle against the “gangs outside Europe to locations such as Iraq and Libya, targeting criminal networks operating in areas where they previously believed themselves to be untouchable.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said this is “not making any actual difference,” pointing to the Labour Party’s “weakness” being at the centre of the issue.
He told GB News: “It’s not making any actual difference to the illegal crossings. Numbers are up 45 per cent since the election. Over 70,000 illegal immigrants have crossed since the (2024) election – more under Keir Starmer than any other prime minister in history. The only way to fix this is the Conservative plan to leave the ECHR, which will enable us to deport all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. Then the crossings will soon stop. But Labour is too weak to do this.”
In January and February, the NCA arrested six people for offences relating to drink-driving after a lorry carrying 23 people was stopped in Dover, Kent. The next month, the NCA was deployed to Germany to support an operation that led to the arrest of four people supplying equipment to gangs involved in the illicit trafficking of weapons on small boats.
Among those convicted was Ahmed Ramadan Mohamad Ebid, of Egypt, sentenced last May to 25 years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of illegally smuggling thousands of people across the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe, following his arrest in the London borough of Hounslow. Between October 2022 and June 2023, Ebid sourced and provided boats and crews for illegal crossings of the Mediterranean, housed migrants prior to departure, and assisted with the necessary documentation. The NCA, in collaboration with Italian law enforcement agencies, was able to link Ebid to the organisation of illegal border crossings from Libya.
The authorities intercepted seven attempted border crossings involving 3,781 migrants, from which the smugglers made a profit of approximately £12.3 million.
According to the NCA, in the year ending April 2026, they carried out 400 operations to disrupt OIC networks, resulting in the elimination, prevention or reduction of crime — 50 more operations than in the previous year.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, told the People’s Channel that whilst this is a “welcome development” from the NCA, it is only “scratching the surface” of the issue.
“This is a welcome development but it’s really just scratching the surface. Arrests have always been made, but not all lead to prosecution and conviction. There are thousands of people around the world involved in illegal immigration who are beyond our jurisdiction and cannot be arrested, let alone prosecuted. Well done to the NCA, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that this is going to have much impact on the numbers making their way here illegally.”
