Risks of illegal migration to the UK
Information for migrants on the risks and realities of travelling to the UK through dangerous or illegal routes, and the safe and legal alternatives.
This guidance is also available in the following languages:
Introduction
Migrants are often told by smugglers that travelling to the UK will be safe and easy. In reality the journey puts people at serious risk of injury, abuse and exploitation. The journey is not only expensive, but dangerous. Men, women and children have died trying to get to the UK in small boats or hidden in lorries.
Migrants are often forced into situations that are extremely dangerous. People smugglers:
- use the cheapest boats they can find which are not suitable for dangerous waters
- fill boats with too many people
- do not provide safe life jackets
- fill lorries and containers with people, often loading people into cramped, freezing and air-tight conditions that create a risk to life
This puts migrants’ lives at serious risk during every journey.
Don’t put your life at risk. Don’t travel illegally.
Dangers of illegal travel to the UK by boat or lorry
Many people have died or been seriously injured trying to travel to the UK in a small boat or by lorry - including children.
The dangers of travelling to the UK in a small boat include:
- sea conditions change quickly – your boat could turn over or sink when this happens
- you could fall into the sea and drown – this can happen in minutes because the water is so cold
- your boat could break during the journey – the boats that smugglers provide are often unsuitable for long journeys
- your boat could be hit by a bigger boat – the sea between England and France is the busiest shipping area in the world
The dangers of travelling to the UK hidden in a lorry include:
- you could be run over while trying to climb onto a moving vehicle
- you risk freezing to death inside a refrigerated vehicle
- you could easily suffocate in a sealed container or lorry
- you could be injured by items falling on top of you
- you could fall off into the road or underneath the lorry
Dangers of people smugglers
The people who arrange your journey are often part of organised crime gangs and may force you into dangerous situations to pay off your debt to them.
Despite what smugglers may tell you, if you arrive in the UK illegally you will not be allowed to work or earn money. You could end up sleeping in the streets, made to beg and give any money to the smugglers, or forced into slavery.
You may be given work by criminal employers who pay no or low wages and ask you to work in dangerous conditions. They can charge lots of money for travel and unsuitable accommodation.
Relying on smugglers could mean you’ll:
- owe more money to criminals leaving you financially vulnerable and exploited by the methods criminal gangs use to take your earnings
- be unable to send money home to your family
- become part of a dangerous criminal network – putting yourself and your family at risk
What happens if you arrive in the UK from a safe country
If you make it to the UK safely, you may not be able to stay. If you get to the UK through a safe country and you make an asylum claim, this may not be considered.
The UK asylum process gives no advantages over other European asylum processes and you should always claim asylum in the first safe country you reach.
If you make it to the UK, the realities may be different to what you expect, for example:
- Asylum seekers are only allowed to work in the UK if they have not had a decision on their claim for over 12 months. This must be through no fault of their own. If you are able to work, you can only do the jobs on the Shortage Occupation List.
- It is a criminal offence to work in the UK without the right to do so. Migrants working illegally can be imprisoned for up to 6 months. Wages from working illegally can be seized as the proceeds of crime if someone knows or has reasonable cause to believe a person is working illegally.
- If an employer is found to be employing someone illegally, the employer may be fined or face prosecution.
- Only those with lawful immigration status can rent private accommodation. It is a criminal offence for landlords and agents to knowingly let property to an illegal migrant.
- Migrants in the UK illegally are not able to access public funds. Those without lawful immigration status may also be charged if they require hospital treatment or secondary health care whilst in the UK. Outstanding payments for medical treatment can also result in further immigration applications being refused.
- Other services, like bank accounts and driving licences are also restricted if you are in the UK illegally.
Illegal Migration Bill
The government is changing the law so that people who arrive in the UK illegally will not be able to stay, and will instead be liable for detention and then promptly removed, either to their home country or a safe third country.
The new Illegal Migration Bill will speed up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK and crack down on people abusing modern slavery protections.
Relocation to Rwanda
From 1 January 2022, you will be considered for relocation to Rwanda if you make an illegal journey to the UK and have travelled through or have a connection to a safe country.
People relocated to Rwanda will have their asylum claim processed there. Rwanda will have full responsibility for them.
People whose claims for protection are rejected will either be offered the chance to stay in Rwanda or return to their home country – they will not return to the UK once their claims have been decided by Rwanda.
There is no limit to the number of people who can be relocated to Rwanda.
Penalties and jail sentences
The UK has toughened up penalties and introduced new criminal offences for people coming to the UK illegally. It is a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK without a valid entry clearance when one is required. You could face up to 4 years in jail and be removed to a safe country if you arrive illegally.
If you are caught assisting people smugglers, for example by steering the boat or helping other people to pay smugglers, then the UK government can take criminal action against you. You could go to jail before being removed to a safe country.
The UK government has introduced tougher penalties for people smugglers with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Safely and anonymously report immigration crime, including people smugglers.
How UK and European governments are working together to stop illegal journeys to the UK
The UK is working closely with the French and Belgian governments to do everything possible to stop illegal migrants before they reach the UK. In 2022, French and UK authorities prevented nearly 33,000 attempts to travel illegally to the UK, nearly 40% more than in 2021.
Some of the ways that governments are working to stop illegal journeys to the UK are described below.
- advances in surveillance and strengthened intelligence cooperation to step up efforts to disrupt and deter crossings
- the UK government, police and international organisations are arresting and prosecuting people relating to small boat crossings
- since the UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell was established in July 2020, the UK and France have dismantled 76 organised crime groups and secured over 500 arrests
- since the start of 2022, UK government investigations have led to over 179 convictions for immigration crimes resulting in a total of nearly 170 years in sentencing
- since 2020, there have been 779 convictions for immigration crimes resulting in a combined total of over 900 years in prison
- since 2020, UK government investigations have led to 340 convictions relating to people smuggling cases; this includes 130 small boats related convictions and 210 convictions for facilitating migrants in vehicles
- UK and French border officers search and check lorries at all EU checkpoints before they reach the UK; officers use dogs, monitors and scanners that can detect people breathing inside lorries
- the UK, France and Belgium are sharing technology such as drones to detect people trying to get to the UK
- in a new agreement between the UK and France, we have increased the number of officers patrolling the beaches in northern France by 40%, increasing early detection and the disruption of illegal journeys to the UK
- new laws from our Nationality and Borders Act have resulted in over 184 people convicted to over 115 years in prosecutions
In addition, the Prime Minister of the UK and the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr Edi Rama, recently agreed to enhance cooperation in 3 main areas of common interest with the main focus on the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration.
Safe and legal ways to get to the UK
There are a variety of safe and legal routes to enter the UK. People smugglers cannot guarantee your safety or that you will be allowed to stay in the UK. Find out more about safer alternative options below.
You should always claim asylum in the first safe country you reach. You should contact authorities in the country you are in for information on how to do this.
Safe and legal routes to enter the UK include:
Apply for a UK visa
You can apply for a visa if you want to come to the UK to work, study or remain with family.
There are different visas you can apply for depending on your circumstances.
UK Resettlement Scheme and Mandate Resettlement Scheme
Under the UK Resettlement Scheme, the UK will continue to offer a safe and legal route to vulnerable refugees in need of protection. The Mandate Resettlement Scheme is a smaller global scheme that resettles refugees who have a close family member in the UK who is willing to house them.
You cannot apply to the UK government for resettlement to the UK. You will need to have been assessed for resettlement by UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency).
Visit the UNHCR website for information for refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless people.
Refugee Family Reunion
In addition to our refugee resettlement schemes, the UK has granted over 29,000 Refugee Family Reunion visas in the last 5 years.
If you were separated from your partner or parent when you were forced to leave your country, you may be able to apply to join them in the UK.
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy helps people formerly employed by the UK government (Locally Employed Staff) in Afghanistan.
Any current or former locally employed staff who are assessed to be under serious threat to life are offered priority relocation to the UK regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.
Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme began on 6 January, providing up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.
The scheme prioritises:
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members of Afghan civil society who supported the UK and international community effort in Afghanistan
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vulnerable people, including women, girls and members of minority groups at risk
You cannot directly apply for the scheme, it is managed by a referral process. Further information is available on the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.
Move to the UK if you’re from Ukraine
The UK has launched one of the fastest and biggest visa schemes in UK history to support people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. You will need to apply online for permission to enter the UK before you travel.
If you are a Ukrainian national and have settled family in the UK, you can apply for the Ukraine Family Scheme visa for free.
If you are a Ukrainian national but do not have settled family in the UK, apply for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (also known as ‘Homes for Ukraine’) for free.
Updates to this page
Published 17 June 2022Last updated 27 November 2023 + show all updates
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Added information about the Illegal Migration Bill and more details on how the UK is working with European governments to stop illegal journeys.
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Updated section under 'How UK and European governments are working together to stop illegal journeys to the UK' as statistics were outdated and added Albanian translation.
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Added translation