Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – On August 6th, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled an initiative aimed at expediting measures against online dissemination of people smuggling content, which involves criminals sharing information about illicit Channel crossings. The endeavor involves a collaborative undertaking between social media companies and the government.
This announcement coincides with recent statistics showcasing the government’s steady advancement in realizing the Prime Minister’s strategy to curtail maritime migration. Comparatively, the number of crossings remains lower than the previous year, and significant headway has been made in reducing the backlog of asylum cases that date back to December 2022. Furthermore, the expulsion of individuals lacking authorization to reside in the UK has reached its highest point since 2019.
While data from the NCA reveals that more than 90% of online content related to people smuggling is removed upon notification to social media companies, the alliance between technology firms and the government will catalyze ongoing efforts to combat the strategies employed by criminal syndicates that exploit the internet to entice individuals into paying for illicit crossings.
Such content encompasses a range of offerings, including discounted rates for groups, complimentary spaces for minors, provision of fraudulent documents, and false assurances of secure passage. These tactics target vulnerable individuals with the intent of generating profits, thereby subjecting lives to perilous and illegal journeys.
“To stop the boats, we have to tackle the business model of vile people smugglers at source, “explained the UK PM Rishi Sunak.
“This new commitment from tech firms will see us redouble our efforts to fight back against these criminals, working together to shut down their vile trade.”
According to a statement until now, this collaboration has led to the removal or suspension of over 4,700 posts, pages, or accounts, resulting in heightened disruption of activities conducted by organized criminal groups. The present partnership will propel the advancement even further.
