Foreign officials, including police officers profiting from human smuggling, will be banned from entering the UK and have their assets frozen under a new sanctions regime announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy. This regime, which comes into effect on Wednesday, will target anyone involved in aiding illegal immigration, such as border guards and police officers accepting bribes from those facilitating small boat crossings. Producers of fake passports and middlemen using the hawala money transfer system will also be targeted.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to combat people smuggling, following a commitment by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “smash the gangs.” Lammy stated that those implicated will face asset freezes, exclusion from the UK financial system, and travel bans to the UK.
Legislation is set to be introduced under the border security, asylum, and immigration bill, which aims to enhance the enforcement capabilities of police and partner agencies in investigating and prosecuting people smugglers.
Amidst growing concerns about irregular migration, opposition spokesmen have highlighted safety crises linked to crimes supposedly committed by undocumented immigrants. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, argued that the situation, particularly for women and girls, constitutes a public safety emergency due to crimes allegedly committed by “illegal immigrants.”
His remarks followed a protest outside an Essex hotel believed to house asylum seekers and the arrest of six individuals. Following allegations of a sexual assault by an asylum seeker against a 14-year-old girl, there has been an ongoing series of demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel in Epping. The accused, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, denies the charge.
Philp urged the government to record and publish the immigration status of all offenders and to shut down hotels housing asylum seekers. Meanwhile, Diana Johnson, the crime and policing minister, emphasized the importance of allowing criminal justice proceedings to continue and affirmed the government’s serious approach to allegations of sexual assault, including changes in the law to prevent those convicted of sexual offenses from being granted asylum.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/21/corrupt-foreign-border-officials-face-being-banned-from-the-uk
