UK imposes sanctions on Balkan gangs and financiers accused of facilitating small boats cross the Channel amid rising number of illegal migrants

Thursday, October 23, 2025 - The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on Balkans-based criminal networks and financiers accused of facilitating illegal small boat crossings into Britain, as migrant arrivals in 2025 are on track to surpass last year’s total.

The new measures were announced on Wednesday, October 22, coinciding with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s hosting of the Western Balkans Summit in London, where European leaders gathered to discuss migration, security, and economic cooperation. According to the Foreign Office, the sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans targeting individuals and groups involved in “illegal migration to the UK” and illicit financial operations supporting people-smuggling gangs.

“There is a criminal route through the Western Balkans bringing illegal migrants to the UK, and we’re determined to shut it down by working with European partners,” Starmer said in a statement. He added that through a Joint Migration Taskforce, British drones, and tougher sanctions, the government aims to dismantle smuggling operations “at every stage” to “deliver security for working people.”

Starmer, who came to power in July 2024 pledging to “smash the gangs” behind cross-Channel migration, faces mounting pressure as illegal crossings continue to rise, fuelling the growth of the hard-right and domestic unrest over immigration. More than 36,816 migrants arrived via small boats in 2024, and officials said the 2025 figure is expected to exceed that total by Wednesday.

The London summit, attended by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, focused on bolstering European cooperation against people smuggling, corruption, and Russian influence in the Balkans. Starmer described the region as “Europe’s crucible, the place where the security of our continent is put to the test.”

The sanctions list includes:

The Krasniqi network, a Kosovo-based organised crime group accused of producing and selling false documents to criminal gangs; Nusret Seferovic, alleged leader of a Croatian gang supplying counterfeit Croatian passports to facilitate illegal entry into European countries; The ALPA network, accused of procuring small boat components for people-smuggling rings operating across Europe.

The UK government said these measures demonstrate its “renewed commitment to cutting off every route and resource available to human traffickers and smuggling gangs.”