The UK on Thursday unveiled tougher laws including travel restrictions and a ban on phone usage to clamp down on “vile” people smugglers behind organised immigration crime networks.

The Home Office said new interim orders will allow immediate action to disrupt and deter suspected serious criminality in a "major upgrade" to the country's Serious Crime Prevention Orders.

The changes form part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, with new powers mirroring those which are already used to disrupt other harmful criminality such as knife crime, slavery and trafficking.

“Dangerous criminal people-smugglers are profiting from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. They cannot be allowed to get away with it,” said UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

“Stronger international collaboration has already led to important arrests and action against dangerous gangs over the last few months. We will give law enforcement stronger powers they need to pursue and stop more of these vile gang networks,” she said.

Under the proposals, breaching an interim order could lead to up to five years in prison. Restrictions to be imposed under such orders will vary on a case-by-case basis and could include: travel restrictions on suspects; ban on laptop or mobile phone usage; ban on accessing social media networks, including via a third party; restrictions on whom someone can associate with; restrictions on devices and communications with certain individuals; and restrictions on their finances, helping to prevent criminal proceeds from going under the radar.

The Home Office said that currently securing a Serious Crime Prevention Order imposed on suspects, including people smugglers, can be a complex and lengthy process, restricting the use of this powerful tool.

Interim orders are intended to go further, speeding up the process for placing restrictions on people under investigation to prevent, deter and disrupt serious and organised crime, including people smuggling.

The new interim orders will allow the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the police and other law enforcement agencies to apply directly to the High Court to impose immediate restrictions while a full order is considered.

The Home Office said: “This will strengthen the tools of law enforcement to disrupt these individuals who are operating in the UK, in some cases allowing investigations and prosecutions to continue whilst preventing further serious criminality from taking place.

“The new orders will form an important part of preventing organised immigration crime while complementing the UK’s relentless pursuit of criminal gangs.” It comes as the UK signed new agreements with Germany and Iraq to tackle people-smuggling gangs and enhanced cooperation with the Calais Group to clamp down on the problem of migrants illegally crossing the English Channel in dangerous small boats.

Home Office provisional data for the New Year showed that 36,816 people arrived in Britain by such small boats in 2024, a quarter more than in 2023 (29,437). People from Afghanistan accounted for the single largest group of arrivals in the first nine months of 2024 at 17 per cent, Iranians were the second-largest group (13 per cent), followed by Vietnamese and Syrians (12 per cent).

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