Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, describes the tactic as ‘disturbing’ as people smuggling gangs are offering cut-price Channel crossings to migrants who promote the service on social media
People smuggling gangs are offering cut-price Channel crossings to migrants who agree to film their journey and promote it on social media. Callous gangsters hope that resulting adverts on internet platforms, including Facebook, Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram, will help drum up more business by inspiring other potential customers to make the same dangerous journey.
It is understood some migrants have been offered discounts of up to £1,000 each. Paul Brisley, from the National Crime Agency, said: “They offer discounts if migrants take a video of their journey, if it is successful, that they can then use to promote their service. The adverts show photographs of migrants in a boat, using videos of the migrants themselves as an endorsement of the service.”
Mr Brisley, who specialises in fighting organised immigration crime, says criminals are also offering discounts to family groups and certain nationalities, as well as women and children. And he revealed they are even using social media adverts to promote other services, including the supply of false and fraudulent documents, as well as fraudulent assistance with visa applications.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: “It is disturbing to hear that smugglers are offering discounts for video footage. It shows they are very entrepreneurial. This is a ruthless business making millions each year.”
Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais said: “Until the UK Government accepts that safe routes offer the only workable solution, Channel crossings will continue and more lives will be lost. The only way to upend the business model of smuggling gangs and end Channel crossings is by creating safe routes for refugees to claim asylum in the UK.
“Refugees in Calais tell us every day that if they had a safe route, they would use it rather than risk their lives crossing the Channel. We know safe routes work from the success of the Ukrainian visa scheme, which led to the Ukrainian community that was gathering in Calais at the outset of Russia’s war, dispersing overnight when the visa scheme was introduced.”
The offers from criminals in Calais come just days after Home Office figures showed there had been 4,393 arrivals from across the Channel between the start of the year and March 10. That figure included more than 1,000 arrivals in the first four days of March and compares with 3,406 by the same time last year – the previous high for the same period.
The number of small boat arrivals since Labour came to power last July is now 27,373 – 28 per cent higher than the 21,410 that were seen during the equivalent period in 2023/24.