Migrants are slipping into the UK undetected via lorries and visa fraud while government efforts remain narrowly fixed on tackling small boat crossings in the Channel, according to a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.
The policing watchdog warned that the disproportionate focus on boat arrivals has left other forms of illegal entry neglected, creating loopholes for people-smuggling gangs to exploit.
The report, which was commissioned and carried out in early 2024, highlights missed opportunities to intercept illegal migration through alternative routes, with law enforcement distracted by the highly visible crossings from France.
It also criticised the Government’s broader handling of organised immigration crime, citing poor intelligence-sharing among the Border Force, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and local police. In some cases, agencies lacked access to vital police records that could help identify and disrupt criminal networks.
This revelation is seen as a setback for UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has pledged repeatedly to “smash the gangs” and restore control over Britain’s borders.
Just weeks ago, he reiterated his determination to tackle illegal migration, warning that Britain risked “becoming an island of strangers”.
According to the watchdog, clandestine entries by lorry and visa fraud are not being adequately tracked. “Throughout this inspection, we often heard that the UK Government and NCA were too focused on small boats,” the report stated, cautioning that this could result in “missed opportunities in other areas of immigration crime”.
Official figures show that by 17 May, approximately 12,700 migrants had crossed the Channel in small boats—up 30% on the same period last year. However, those arriving hidden in lorries or via fraudulent visas are harder to detect, and their numbers remain unknown.
Former police officer and international law enforcement expert Neville Blackwood explained: “Small boat arrivals are visible, emotive, and draw immediate attention. But those who arrive via lorries don’t necessarily come into contact with the authorities or receive accommodation support.”
The report also stressed the need for an improved and lawful process for examining migrants’ mobile phones and digital devices, which may contain critical intelligence on smuggling operations—such as the criminals involved, payment methods, and routes used.
The inspectorate warned that the current strategy is “neither effective nor robust enough”, resulting in the loss of key intelligence and investigative opportunities. It called for a coordinated national approach to intelligence gathering and better access to police databases for agencies tackling organised immigration crime.
The findings come just days after Prime Minister Starmer’s trip to Albania, where he was publicly rebuffed by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who rejected UK proposals to detain failed asylum seekers in the Balkan country.
