Migrants are being smuggled from the UK to Europe for £1,000 per person, according to an investigation by The Telegraph. The service, which includes a £500 'taxi service' to Spain, is advertised on social media with images of tourist hotspots like Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower.
Smuggling routes and amnesty
The adverts also target students who have overstayed their visas. Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at Oxford University's Migration Observatory, suggested that escaping immigration enforcement could be a benefit of the journey. He noted that the Home Office has been 'ramping up' its enforcement infrastructure, and people might think the Schengen Zone allows free movement to any country.
Spain's amnesty drive has seen over 600,000 of 1.2 million applicants granted temporary employment permits and a one-year renewable residence permit.
Recent border incident
Last Thursday, 60,000 people stormed the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, with at least 67 deaths from drowning or a crush. Some 48,000 returned to Morocco by Friday night.
Authorities respond
The NCA is investigating smuggling gangs operating both ways across the Channel. A source said: 'The same gangs involved in smuggling people out of the UK illegally are often involved in bringing people in too, which is why targeting them is important. These gangs not only threaten the border security of both the UK and France, but also risk the lives of those they transport.'
A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are working closely with France to prevent illegal migration attempts, which exploit national borders. We have delivered a record-breaking increase in disruptions to criminal smuggling activity, including arrests, convictions and seizures, rising by nearly 50 per cent in the year ending March 2026.'
