The U.K.'s National Crime Agency has reached a deal with Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to disrupt human smuggling networks.
The agency called the event a landmark agreement.
- According to the NCA, the agency has provided the social media platforms with data that has helped them remove and suspend over 3,300 posts, pages, or accounts tied with smuggling organizations.
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The NCA claims that it is currently conducting over 90 investigations into high-ranking members of several smuggling organizations.
- This number is the largest in the organization's history, according to reports.
- In addition to this deal, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has stated that the British government is set to implement a new Illegal Migration Bill that would give immigration officers the power to seize electronic devices from people who come to the U.K. illegally. According to Jenrick, this would help authorities track smugglers.
- The bill has been criticized by the United Nations refugee agency, which claimed that the bill would prevent people who need to seek asylum from getting help, and would ultimately only increase the number of people who try to get into the country.