Ban on advertisements for small boats to cross to Great Britain

• The government of Great Britain is banning advertisements for small boats for migrants.
• Criminals who advertise unsafe crossings may face up to five years in prison.
• 80% of migrants use social media to connect with traffickers.

The government of Great Britain plans to ban advertisements promoting crossings in small boats through La-Manche for potential migrants. This initiative is part of an amendment to the law on border security, which is currently being considered in Parliament.

Along with the new rules, creating such content for publication on the Internet will become a criminal offense. This could lead to a prison sentence of up to five years and significant fines for offenders.

It is noted that 80% of migrants who arrived in Great Britain in small boats reported that they used social media during their journey, including to connect with traffickers.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stressed that criminals who promise safe passage to Great Britain put migrants' lives at risk. She also announced the introduction of a new fast-track system for processing applications for asylum to expedite the queue.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that already in 2025, more than 25 thousand people attempted unsafe crossings through La-Manche, which is 51% more than in the previous year. This figure is a record for this period since the beginning of the count of crossings in 2018.

Tags: Europe/Politics/Crime