In a groundbreaking move, social media giants, including Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter, have partnered with the National Crime Agency (NCA) to combat people smugglers’ posts encouraging asylum seekers to cross the Channel. The collaboration aims to disrupt attempts to lure migrants into undertaking perilous journeys, including false document offers and group discounts for the crossing.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, highlighted the significance of this new alliance between law enforcement and tech firms. By removing posts promoting illegal crossings, the government aims to fulfill its promise to “stop the boats” and dismantle the business model of unscrupulous human smugglers. The partnership intends to redirect users away from such content, much like the methods used to tackle extremism or eating disorder content on social media platforms.

As part of this effort, an “online capability centre” will be established with £11 million in funding. The NCA officers will collaborate with the Home Office to report and counteract promotional posts related to unauthorised Channel crossings.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok and Twitter (previously known as X), have all committed to support the initiative, signalling a united front in tackling this grave issue.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman emphasised that the strengthened collaboration will ensure that content promoting unauthorised Channel crossings does not spread on these platforms. The coordinated response aims to prevent these posts from gaining traction and limit the influence of people smugglers.

However, opposition parties have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of this measure. Labour has called the action “too little, too late,” criticising the government’s handling of the asylum system. The Liberal Democrats view the announcement as “tinkering around the edges,” calling for more comprehensive reforms to address the wider issues with the asylum system.