Migrant small boats cross The Channel on record breaking day
A Conservative Party MP has said the only way to break the business model of human traffickers is with a “deterrent-led approach” – and for Britain that means sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Tom Hunt, the member of Parliament for Ipswich, was responding to the findings of an Express.co.uk investigation into people smugglers which found Albanian gangs were running operations from inside Britain.
The undercover investigation found unscrupulous gangs are using UK phone numbers to charge £3500 for Channel crossings, and arranging for payments to be collected through an associate in Britain once the crossings have been successfully made.
We found a large number of adverts on social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, posted by traffickers and, posing as the relative of an Albanian family wishing to come to the UK, we easily made contact with several smugglers.
“For some this won’t come as a massive surprise,” said Tom Hunt. “It’s as many of us suspected. However, it doesn’t make it any less concerning.
READ MORE Albanian gangs exposed as running small boat Channel racket from UK soil
“This is a vile trade in human lives that will continue to grow unless we break the business model of these groups.”
Hunt added that the findings emphasised the need for the Government to press ahead with a proposed move to send migrants, whose asylum claims have been deemed inadmissible, to Rwanda.
“The only way to break this business model is to have a deterrent-led approach [and it’s] absolutely why we need to have the Rwanda policy up and running,” he added.
“Credit to the Daily Express for conducting this investigation.”
Don’t miss…
Asylum case backlog in UK rises to record levels prompting fury over figures[REVEAL]
Figures show asylum seekers applying to UK highest in two decades[INSIGHT]
UK facing £6bn-a-year ‘perma-backlog’ of asylum seekers under Home Office plans[ANALYSIS]
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
The issue with Albanian people trafficking gangs arranging Channel crossings worsened in 2022.
Border Force chief Dan O’Mahoney told MPs last year that up to two percent of the entire adult male population of Albania travelled to the UK by crossing the English Channel.
He explained this significant increase was a result of gangs from the Balkan nation breaking the stranglehold Kurdish criminal groups had on people-smuggling routes, although in some cases the two operations were still in league with one another.
Have you got a TIP for a STORY? Email [email protected]
Source: Read Full Article