On 8 January 2025, the UK Government announced the forthcoming launch of a new sanctions regime targeting irregular migration and organised immigration crime, expected to come into force in 2025.
The UK Government explained, in an 8 January press release, that this new sanctions regime is designed to target organised immigration networks operated and utilised by people smugglers, with the goal of deterring smugglers and stemming their financial flows at their source. This forms part of a broader UK Government strategy to increase UK border security.
The legislation underpinning the new regime has not yet been published, but is expected to be implemented later in 2025. While expected to be an autonomous sanctions regime, the Government press release indicates that the UK also intends to collaborate with EU and G7 partners to combat people smuggling.
The full Government press release is available here.
