War in Iran is set to increase small boat arrivals – here’s why

WorldPolitics
18 Mar 2026 • 12:59 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • The head of the National Crime Agency (NCA), Graeme Biggar, warned that the US-Israeli conflict on Iran is likely to increase the number of small boat arrivals in Britain.
  • Biggar noted that small boat arrivals were up 13 per cent year-on-year in 2025, with 45,774 people making the crossing, predominantly from the Horn of Africa.
  • He also highlighted the growing threat from synthetic opioids, with nitazenes linked to 1,000 UK deaths in two-and-a-half years, and drug-related deaths doubling in a decade.
  • Criminals are employing increasingly sophisticated techniques, such as chemically bonding drugs to other substances, to smuggle them into the country.
  • Biggar stated that technology is accelerating crime, making offenders smarter and more connected, with cyber attacks also posing a significant and evolving threat.

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