Laws that punish vulnerability won’t save lives, but safe routes will

Germany and the UK have unveiled a joint plan to crack down on criminal gangs facilitating irregular small-boat crossings. This initiative includes Germany amending its laws to make facilitating people smuggling to non-EU countries, like the U.K., explicitly illegal. This collaboration comes as small boat crossings in the English Channel continue to rise. Campaigners caution that targeting smuggling networks must be paired with creating safe routes for migrants.

Germany and U.K. collaborate on controversial crackdowns

While the plan promises enhanced cooperation, critics argue it falls short. By criminalizing those facilitating illegal crossings without safe and legal routes for migrants, the systemic issues driving dangerous journeys remain unaddressed.

According to the BBC, over 33,000 people have crossed this year alone, an 18% increase compared to last year. Tragically, these perilous journeys have claimed more than 70 lives in 2024, with overcrowded boats carrying an average of 53 people—a stark rise from 10 people in 2019.

Charlie Eastaugh, director of international operations at the U.K.’s Border Security Command said,

The Channel crossings are the most dangerous they have ever been. We’ve seen tyre inner tubes being used in place of life jackets, it’s extraordinarily dangerous, they are death traps.

There are fewer boats and fewer engines in supply, we have seized over 450 boats and engines across Europe – and organised crime gangs are taking greater risks.

Conservative leaders in the U.K. claim the plan lacks sufficient deterrents, while humanitarian advocates emphasize the need for safe migration routes. Without legal pathways, migrants remain vulnerable to exploitation and are forced into life-threatening conditions.

The case of Ibrahuma Bah: A scapegoat for dangerous border policies

The tightening of smuggling laws has sparked controversy, especially in cases like that of Ibrahima Bah, a Senegalese teenager sentenced to over nine years in prison after steering an overcrowded dinghy across the Channel in December 2022. Threatened by smugglers to pilot the “unseaworthy” vessel, Bah’s defense argued he had no choice but to comply. However, the court rejected his claims, stating he owed his fellow passengers a “duty of care” and citing the new laws as grounds for conviction, reports The Guardian.

“This judgment is extremely sad news for Ibrahima and after so many efforts to get justice for him,”said his sister Hassanatou Ba. “It is so difficult for him in prison… His sentence was nine years, not nine months.”

The dinghy carried approximately 45 people, far exceeding its capacity, and resulted in four deaths, including that of Hajratullah Ahmadi, a 31-year-old Afghan father.

The Free Ibrahima Campaign condemned the ruling, stating,

“We are devastated at the Court of Appeal outcome which leaves Ibrahima imprisoned as a scapegoat for border policies which continue to cause people to die in the Channel.”

Bah’s conviction underscores a troubling trend of holding vulnerable migrants accountable for systemic failures. A focus on punitive measures alone perpetuates harm, as seen in Bah’s case, where a victim of coercion was scapegoated under new laws.

We need safe routes now

Migrants, who often lack viable legal pathways to seek safety, are forced into perilous routes, turning them into scapegoats for broader migration crises. Such policies displace blame onto vulnerable individuals rather than addressing the root causes compelling migration. Governments must recognize that criminalizing individuals like Bah does not deter migration but exacerbates the risks for those fleeing danger.

The lack of safe migration routes combined with punitive immigration policies contributes to increasing vulnerabilities to human trafficking and modern slavery for people on the move. This is unacceptable. Governments must prioritize safe migration now. Take action today.