“Migrate before it’s too late” warns one suspected people smuggler, selling the dream of a new life in the UK.
As small boats in the Channel hit record levels, social media and innovative sales tactics have become important tools for smuggling gangs charging up to £5,000 for illegal crossings.
Despite vows of a crackdown by big tech firms, The i Paper has found several suspected people smugglers sharing videos on social media site, TikTok, in a bid to lure migrants. After being alerted to these videos found in this investigation, the Home Office branded it “unacceptable” that social media companies are still hosting such content.
It comes as Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced a “one in, one out” migration deal with France this week. Under the pilot scheme for every illegal migrant the UK returns, it will accept another who has made a legal claim on the Continent, typically those with family ties in the UK.
Experts have warned smugglers are likely to react to such measures by dropping prices and encouraging migrants to risk their lives during the summer months, where calmer waters offer a greater chance of success.
A record 20,000 people have risked their lives crossing the English Channel in the first six months of this year, with high levels of crossings expected in the coming days as temperatures pass 30C.
Peter Walsh, Senior Researcher, at The Migration Observatory, said: “Smugglers are always looking for innovative ways of advertising their services… This is a fairly standard marketing and advertising tactic you see in businesses across the world, whether legitimate or illegitimate.
“One of the counter intuitive effects of tougher borders and stronger enforcement is that it pushes people into the hands of smugglers.”
‘Welcome to London’
Smugglers touting for migrants willing to make the life-threatening journeys across the English Channel don’t hide how perilous the journey is.
Videos posted on social media show migrants folded into gaps between cargo boxes, living in tents in rubbish-strewn French forests, and walking long distances with their possessions on their backs.
One account shares an image of apparent illegal migrants getting out of a car after reaching their destination, quoting a figure of $7,000In another video, eight men and women look visibly relieved, stretching their bodies after emerging from the boot, footwells and back seats of a single car.
Walsh said: “They’re saying, ‘Yes, it is tough, and that’s why you need us’. And there’s probably some truth to that.”
Suspected smuggling accounts celebrate successful crossings with gleeful captions such as “Welcome to London”. Another uses pictures of the British flag, while a third offers the boastful comment “we are masters” with celebratory emojis.
Several TikTok accounts shared routes into Europe and the UK, with the price of journeys ranging from $1,200 to $7,000 (£900 to £5,000). They also shared videos charting journeys across the continent to Calais and on board small boats crossing the Channel.
In some cases these accounts had thousands of followers, with usernames such as “Daily trips to Europe” or “Immigration from Jordan to Europe”. They openly post phone numbers and ask people to Whatsapp or DM them for more details.
Walsh, who works at Oxford University analysing migration to the UK, believes social media is an important tool for smugglers.
He said: “Often the presentation is dressed up as [being] an intrepid adventurer. You have inspiring music in the background and success stories can receive high publicity. I’ve seen some videos with over a million views.
“This kind of content can embolden people in making a decision to migrate without authorisation.”
He added: “The spike in Albanian cross channel migration to the UK in the summer of 2022 was often thought of as – in part – a Tik Tok phenomenon.”
Many smugglers don’t just rely on their own pages to bring in customers, but lurk in the comment sections of people who have posted about their own successful journeys to the UK on TikTok.
One migrant’s account had thousands of followers with some videos being viewed more than 350,000 times as he charted his journey. Questions in the comments included asking when was the best time to attempt the crossing and how much it costs.
In one comment to a TikTok video, a user asks: “Guys, how does one reach Britain.” A suspected smuggler replies: “Message me.”
Why are these videos still appearing on social media?
A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable for any individual, whether they are a member of a smuggling gang or otherwise, to peddle these lies on social media and promote the criminal services of people-traffickers to others. It is also unacceptable for social media companies to host this type of promotional content, which is encouraging people to put their lives at risk in the Channel.
“As a result, we are working with the National Crime Agency and major social media companies, including TikTok, to seek the rapid removal of online content promoting dangerous small boat crossings. Since November 2021, the National Crime Agency has worked with social media companies to take down around 22,000 organised immigration crime related social media posts and accounts.”
TikTok, as well as other social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, have previously agreed to block people smugglers from advertising Channel crossings on their platforms.
In 2023, TikTok launched in-app features to try to minimise harm from smuggling and trafficking videos. It means when certain words related to this topic are searched for on the app, the user is guided to expert resources from anti-trafficking campaign group STOP THE TRAFFIK.
It’s not known what those specific words are, and this prompt did not appear during our investigation.
TikTok declined to comment, but did remove the accounts shared with them by The i Paper.
The company is understood to work closely with UK law enforcement and industry partners to find and remove content of this nature. Its community guidelines forbid content relating to human trafficking and smuggling, including posts that might facilitate these crimes.
The company’s reporting claims in the first three months of the year, TikTok removed the majority of content showing human trafficking and smuggling within 24 hours of posting.
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