Boat Pilots Ferrying Illegal Immigrants to UK Face Life Imprisonment

A view of one of two areas being used for boats intercepted in the English Channel by the UK's Border Force at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, on July 27, 2021. (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Helmsmen of the small boats bringing illegal immigrants to the British shore can face life sentences, the Home Office said on Tuesday as parts of the new Nationality and Borders Act takes effect.

Under the new law, those who assist unlawful immigrants entering the UK will face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment instead of 14 years.

Highlighting the new rule on Twitter, the Home Office said it applies to people smugglers as well as small boat pilots.

Coastguard-coordinated rescuing of migrants when they are in danger or distress at sea is exempt from the rules.

Since 2019, crossing the English Channel in flimsy small boats from France has become the main mode of illegal entry into Britain detected by the authorities.

A total of 153 migrants on four boats were intercepted by the UK authorities on Monday, bringing the total of small-boat-arrivals this year to 12,312 compared to 5,654 by this point in 2021 and 2,449 in 2020.

Also came into effect on Tuesday was the increase in the maximum sentence for illegally entering the UK or overstaying a visa from six months to four years.

Those who did not come to the UK directly, did not claim without delay, or did not show good cause for their illegal entry or presence, may be given a shorter grant of permission to stay with a minimum of 30 months instead of five years.

Immigrants serving a prison sentence no longer have to serve their full sentence before being deported. They can now be removed after serving half of a sentence, or a year before the full sentence is served, whichever is longer.

Immigration officers are given new powers to search containers for illegal immigrants, while the home secretary has the power to impose visa penalties if a country poses a risk to international peace and security or doesn’t cooperate in taking back its citizens who have no right to be in the UK.

Home Secretary Priti Patel hailed the law as “one of the most crucial milestones” in taking back control of the British borders.

“While there is no single solution to the global migration crisis, these reforms which come into effect today play a vital role in overhauling the broken asylum system as we put our New Plan for Immigration into action,” she said.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we offer protection and sanctuary to those in genuine need; but these new measures will enable us to crack down on abuse of the system and the evil people-smugglers, who will now be subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment as a result of this law coming into force.”

PA Media contributed to this report.