"Migrant demand to reach UK unlawfully continues to be high, and the conflict in Iran is likely to increase the challenge. He said such increases often follow world conflict, adding that some of it is likely to be in the form of small boats crossing the Channel."
"Small boat arrivals were up 13 per cent year-on-year in 2025, after 45,774 people made the perilous crossing to claim asylum in Britain. The NCA said most arrivals last year originated from countries in the Horn of Africa, replacing previous peaks of asylum seekers from Albania and Vietnam in recent years."
"Synthetic opioids pose the biggest risk, with nitazenes now being linked to 1,000 UK deaths in two-and-a-half years. The potent drugs some of which are 500 times stronger than morphine are often smuggled into Britain in the post and are being found in adulterated."
The National Crime Agency director general warned that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran will likely increase small boat arrivals in Britain seeking asylum. Small boat crossings rose 13 percent year-on-year in 2025, with 45,774 people reaching UK shores. Most arrivals originated from Horn of Africa countries, replacing previous peaks from Albania and Vietnam. The NCA seized 533 boats and engines last year to combat organized immigration crime, which accounts for a quarter of the agency's operational activity. The director also highlighted technology's role in accelerating crime, with synthetic opioids like nitazenes posing significant risks, linked to 1,000 UK deaths in two-and-a-half years.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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