Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of arrangements for identifying the operators of vessels used for small boat crossings.

The Border Security Command, law enforcement and operational partners work to identify and disrupt those involved in facilitating small boat crossings, including individuals suspected of operating vessels used for these crossings. Supported by stronger legal powers, increased specialist capability, tighter operational coordination and closer international cooperation, we are placing increasing pressure on the criminal networks that facilitate illegal migration and seek to profit from it. This government will continue to use all available powers, like the new endangerment offence (ten small boat pilots in less than two months have already been jailed for endangering lives at sea), to bring criminals facilitating crossings to justice and restore order and control to our borders.

The National Crime Agency’s collaboration with the Border Security Command has been instrumental in enhancing the UK’s response to organised immigration crime. In Year End June 2026, there were 3,896 disruptions of organised immigration crime recorded, 48% more than in the previous year (2,638).

We are also strengthening operational cooperation with the EU and its member states, including through Europol Operational Task Forces, and with source and transit countries.