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Guidance: Risks of illegal migration to the UK

Home Office

August 23
14:38 2022

This guidance is also available in the following languages:

Introduction

Migrants are often told by smugglers that travelling to the UK will be safe and easy. In reality the journey puts people at serious risk of injury, abuse and exploitation. The journey is not only expensive, but dangerous. Men, women and children have died trying to get to the UK in small boats or hidden in lorries.

Migrants are often forced into situations that are extremely dangerous. Most people smugglers:

  • use the cheapest boats they can find which are not suitable for dangerous waters
  • fill boats with too many people
  • do not provide safe life jackets

This puts migrants lives at serious risk during every journey.

Dont risk it. Choose a safe and legal alternative.

Dangers of illegal travel to the UK by boat or lorry

Many people have died or been seriously injured trying to travel to the UK in a small boat or by lorry - including children.

The dangers of travelling to the UK in a small boat include:

  • sea conditions change quickly your boat could turn over or sink when this happens
  • you could fall into the sea and drown this can happen in minutes because the water is so cold
  • your boat could break during the journey the boats that smugglers provide are often unsuitable for long journeys
  • your boat could be hit by a bigger boat the sea between England and France is the busiest shipping area in the world

The dangers of travelling to the UK hidden in a lorry include:

  • you could be run over while trying to climb onto a moving vehicle
  • you risk freezing to death inside a refrigerated vehicle
  • you could easily suffocate in a sealed container or lorry
  • you could be injured by items falling on top of you
  • you could fall off into the road or underneath the lorry

Dangers of people smugglers

The people who arrange your journey are often part of organised crime gangs and may force you into dangerous situations to pay off your debt to them.

Despite what smugglers may tell you, many illegal migrants struggle to find work and pay for life in the UK. You could end up sleeping in the streets, made to beg and give any money to the smugglers, or forced into slavery.

You may be given work by criminal employers who pay no or low wages and ask you to work in dangerous conditions. They can charge lots of money for travel and unsuitable accommodation.

Relying on smugglers could mean youll:

  • owe more money to criminals
  • be unable to send money home to your family
  • become part of a dangerous criminal network putting yourself and your family at risk

What happens if you arrive in the UK from a safe country

If you make it to the UK safely, you may not be able to stay. If you get to the UK through a safe country and you make an asylum claim, this may not be considered.

The UK asylum process gives no advantages over other European asylum processes and you should always claim asylum in the first safe country you reach.

If you make it to the UK, the realities may be different to what you expect, for example:

  • Asylum seekers are only allowed to work in the UK if they have not had a decision on their claim for over 12 months. This must be through no fault of their own. If you are able to work, you can only do the jobs on the Shortage Occupation List.
  • It is a criminal offence to work in the UK without the right to do so. Migrants working illegally can be imprisoned for up to 6 months. Wages from working illegally can be seized as the proceeds of crime if someone knows or has reasonable cause to believe a person is working illegally.
  • If an employer is found to be employing someone illegally, the employer may be fined or face prosecution.
  • Only those with lawful immigration status can rent private accommodation. It is a criminal offence for landlords and agents to knowingly let property to an illegal migrant.
  • Migrants in the UK illegally are not able to access public funds. Those without lawful immigration status may also be charged if they require hospital treatment or secondary health care whilst in the UK. Outstanding payments for medical treatment can also result in further immigration applications being refused.
  • Other services, like bank accounts and driving licences are also restricted if you are in the UK illegally.

Relocation to Rwanda

From 1 January 2022, you will be considered for relocation to Rwanda if you make an illegal journey to the UK and have travelled through or have a connection to a safe country.

People relocated to Rwanda will have their asylum claim processed there. Rwanda will have full responsibility for them.

People whose claims for protection are rejected will either be offered the chance to stay in Rwanda or return to their home country they will not return to the UK once their claims have been decided by Rwanda.

There is no limit to the number of people who can be relocated to Rwanda.

Penalties and jail sentences

The UK is also toughening penalties and introducing new criminal offences for people coming to the UK illegally. It will be a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK without a valid entry clearance when one is required. You could face up to 4 years in jail and be removed to a safe country if you arrive illegally.

If you are caught assisting people smugglers, for example by steering the boat or helping other people to pay smugglers, then the UK government can take criminal action against you. You could go to jail before being removed to a safe country.

The UK government has introduced tougher penalties for people smugglers with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Safely and anonymously report immigration crime, including people smugglers.

How UK and European governments are working together to stop illegal journeys to the UK

The UK is working closely with the French and Belgian governments to do everything possible to stop illegal migrants before they reach the UK. In 2021, French and UK authorities prevented more than 23,000 attempts to travel illegally to the UK.

Some of the ways that governments are trying to stop illegal journeys to the UK are described below.

  • French police patrol beaches to detect and prevent migrants attempting to cross the Channel by small boat.
  • The UK government, police and international organisations are arresting and prosecuting people relating to small boat crossings.
  • Since the UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell was established in July 2020, the UK and France have dismantled 21 organised crime groups and secured over 500 arrests.
  • Since 2020, UK government investigations have led to over 140 convictions relating to people smuggling cases involving vans, lorries, cars and yachts, and a further 49 small boat related prosecutions.
  • UK and French border officers search and check lorries at all EU checkpoints before they reach the UK. Officers use dogs, monitors and scanners that can detect people breathing inside lorries.
  • The UK, France and Belgium are sharing technology such as drones to detect people trying to get to the UK.

There are a variety of safe and legal routes to enter the UK. People smugglers cannot guarantee your safety or that you will be allowed to stay in the UK. Find out more about safer alternative options below.

You should always claim asylum in the first safe country you reach. You should contact authorities in the country you are in for information on how to do this.

Safe and legal routes to enter the UK include:

Apply for a UK visa

You can apply for a visa if you want to come to the UK to work, study or remain with family.

There are different visas you can apply for depending on your circumstances.

UK Resettlement Scheme and Mandate Resettlement Scheme

Under the UK Resettlement Scheme, the UK will continue to offer a safe and legal route to

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