Life in jail for steering illegal Channel boats

MIGRANTS caught piloting small boats across the Channel could be handed life sentences under measures which came into force yesterday.

The maximum jail term for ‘assisting unlawful immigration’ was increased from 14 years to life under the Nationality and Borders Act.

This will apply to any migrants seen at the tiller of dinghies and other small boats. Drones already capture high-definition video images to use as evidence in court. The Act, passed by Parliament in April, also introduces a ‘twin-track’ asylum system granting fewer rights to those arriving by illegal routes, even if they are eventually given refugee status.

Britain will also be able to impose visa penalties on citizens of countries which refuse to take back their own nationals who are rejected asylum seekers.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘This is one of the most crucial milestones in delivering on our promise to the British public to take back control of our borders.’

The reforms, she added, would ‘play a vital role in overhauling the broken asylum system as we put our New Plan for Immigration into action.

‘We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we offer protection and sanctuary to those in genuine need.

‘But these new measures will enable us to crack down on abuse of the system and the evil people-smugglers, who will now be subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment as a result of this law coming into force.’ The Act also increases the maximum penalty for illegally entering the UK or overstaying a visa from six months to four years’ imprisonment.

And it allows foreign national offenders who are in jail to be removed from the UK up to 12 months before the end of their sentence.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday that 153 migrants had crossed the Channel on Monday, bringing the total since January 1 to just over 12,300.