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Undocumented Migrants: Manufacturing Industries

Asked by Christine JardineLiberal DemocratHome OfficeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 21350

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the role of small engine supplies on the number of small boat crossings in the English Channel.

Answered by Home Office

The creation of the Border Security Command (BSC) in 2024 brought together the UK's response to organised immigration crime, strengthening coordination across law enforcement, intelligence and international partners to tackle the criminal networks facilitating illegal migration.

Since 2024, the National Crime Agency working with international partners have disrupted the supply chains used by organised immigration crime groups. This includes action against suppliers, facilitators and money launderers, as well as the seizure of more than 1,100 boats and engines since the election, preventing equipment from being used in dangerous small boat crossings

We are confident this coordinated approach is delivering results. The lower number of small boat arrivals seen in 2026 reflects the sustained activity being undertaken across the border security system to secure the border and target the criminal gangs behind these crossings.

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