Government commits extra £100m to stopping small boat crossings

LocalPolitics
4 Aug 2025 • 2:17 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • The UK government has announced an additional £100 million investment to tackle illegal migration and reduce small boat crossings.
  • The funding will enable the recruitment of up to 300 more National Crime Agency officers and provide new technology for intelligence gathering on people-smuggling gangs.
  • It will also support the 'one in, one out' returns agreement with France and fund interventions in key transit countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
  • New measures include a proposed five-year prison sentence for individuals advertising illegal Channel crossings or fake passports online.
  • The announcement follows record numbers of Channel crossings, with 25,000 arrivals recorded so far this year.

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