People smuggling replaces drugs at top of NCA caseload

Britain's top law enforcement agency is investigating more cases of people smuggling than any other crime, amid pressure from the government over small-boat arrivals.

- John Simpson

A record 16,545 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2025, according to UK government figures. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has struggled to respond to mounting demands from the Home Office to curb the rising numbers of arrivals over the Channel.

For the first time, the number of open investigations into organised immigration crime has overtaken the number of drug trafficking cases, The Observer understands.

NCA sources said the pressure to investigate immigration crime began under the last government but has massively increased under Labour, who came to power with a promise to “smash the gangs”.

An NCA source said: “This is not a problem we can arrest our way out of. You can take one group down but two more pop up.”