PEOPLE smugglers who advertise Channel Crossings or try to flog fake passports online face up to five years in prison, under a new crackdown.
The Home Office is scrambling to beef up their laws after a record 25,000 illegal migrants landed on Britain’s beaches so far this year.
The grim milestone piles massive pressure on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper – who has vowed to “smash the gangs” and stop the boats.
But the Government has been accused of woefully failing to restore control to UK borders.
Ministers will introduce a new criminal offence under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill already going through Parliament .
This will make it a crime to publish material which promotes breaking immigration laws – like flogging small boat crossings, dodgy passports and visas or promising black market work.
These things are already illegal, but ministers say the new law will help beef up the power of the cops and prosecutors.
Anyone caught flouting the law faces five years behind bars or a massive fine.
Ms Cooper said: “Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country – whether on or offline – simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral.
“These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. We are determined to do everything we can to stop them – wherever they operate.
“We have to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving tactics of people-smuggling gangs.”
A staggering 80 per cent of migrants arriving on small boats used social media sites like TikTok to plan their journey, according to the Home Office .
