Special forces commandos could be deployed against criminal gangs responsible for trafficking thousands of migrants across the English Channel, under plans being drawn up by defence chiefs.
The Special Boat Service (SBS) commandos have been tasked with preparing contingency options that would see them working alongside European partners to target people smuggling networks. One proposal is believed to involve operations against the ringleaders who organise and profit from the crossings.
Elite Commando Skills
The SBS commandos, the maritime counterpart of the SAS, are trained in seize-and-capture missions, covert surveillance and long-term reconnaissance, with experience developed during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Commandos could also monitor migrant camps in northern France to identify smuggling leaders, while their expertise in sabotage operations at sea could potentially disrupt small boat launches.
Intelligence Effort
Work is already under way by MI5, MI6 and Border Force investigators to track the networks, with defence officials viewing the use of SBS commandos as a way to increase pressure on gangs who currently face little deterrent.
A government source said: “There is no quick fix to the migrant crisis. Any solution will require a multi-layered approach. At the moment the rewards are too great and the risks are too low. The job of the SBS commandos is to change that.”
Rising Crossings
The move follows the disclosure that more than 50,000 migrants have illegally entered the UK since Labour came to power, with 400 arrivals recorded in a single day last week. Migrants pay smugglers around £1,500 per crossing, generating an estimated £75 million for the gangs since June 2024.
Those making the journey come largely from Iran, Eritrea, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan, hoping to begin new lives in Europe.
International Coordination
The UK is working with up to 40 other countries to share intelligence and tactics aimed at reducing the flow of illegal crossings.
Earlier this year, Major General Duncan Capps, head of the Small Boats Operational Command, said migrant crossings could be “significantly reduced” but warned it was unrealistic to expect numbers to be reduced to zero.
