People smugglers 'got a free pass from the Tories' as convictions drop by a third

Labour hit after new figures showed just 253 people were convicted of human trafficking last year, up from 398 in 2010 - while that the number of lawsuits fell by 25%

Despite the Prime Minister's promises, convictions of smugglers have dropped (

Image: AP)

Convictions of people smugglers have fallen by more than a third since the Tories took office, despite criminal gangs raking in £200million in profits every year, according to alarming new research.

Only 253 people were convicted last year, compared to 398 in 2010, while the number of prosecutions fell by 25%.

Ministers are accused of failing to deal with smugglers responsible for more than 45,000 people crossing the English Channel last year, up from 300 in 2018.

Labour said the government's strategy had been 'five years out of date' as Rishi Sunak floundered to deliver on his promise to stop the boats.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Criminal smuggling gangs have been allowed to set up shop along our border, but the Conservative government has repeatedly failed to take Ministers' obsession with announcing new headline-grabbing tricks, which then fail, has given gangs of multi-million-pound-earning criminals a license to operate.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said smugglers get a pass (

Picture:

Getty Images)

"The Conservatives' failed approach has given a free pass to the gangs of smugglers and traffickers who are compromising the security of our borders and putting lives at risk with small boat crossings."

More than 14,500 migrants have arrived in the UK since the start of the year after crossing the English Channel, according to Home Office data.

Labour said the conviction rate for all forms of illegal entry into England and Wales, not just Channel crossings, fell by 12 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.< /p>

The party is calling for a new strategy against serious and organized crime to replace the current 2018 plan, which the party says is five years out of date.

Ms Cooper said Labor would 'redirect money spent on the Conservatives' failed Rwandan agenda to relentlessly target these criminal smugglers...