The UK has announced sanctions against what it called two people-smuggling gangs it said control people-smuggling routes from North Africa into Europe.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said on Tuesday, July 23, that the “sanctions target individuals and entities involved in people-smuggling and driving irregular migration to the UK, from a small boat supplier in Asia, to informal Hawala money movers in the Middle East, to gang leaders based in the Balkans and North Africa”.
Among those sanctioned was “Kazawi Gang, a people-smuggling network which controls people-smuggling routes from North Africa into the EU known to deal out harsh punishments to migrants who are unable to pay”, the office said.
The UK also sanctioned “Tetwani Gang, known as one of the Balkan’s most violent people-smuggling gangs, members are reported to hold migrants for ransom and sexually abuse women unable to pay their fees”.
The FCDO said the designations “are the first made under the UK’s new Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime. The regime is a world first and empowers the
“The regime is a world first and empowers the FCDO to impose sanctions not only on individuals and entities involved in people-smuggling to the UK, but also any financiers and companies found to be enabling their activities,” it added.
In total, the sanctions targeted 25 individuals and entities the UK said are “at the heart of people-smuggling networks that drive irregular migration” to the European nation.
