The five suspects are accused of misconduct in public office and stealing cash from illegals who had crossed the English Channel on boats
Illegal boat migrants attempt to cross the English Channel © Carl Court/Getty Images
[RT] Five
British immigration officers have appeared in court on charges of
stealing cash from illegal migrants who arrived in the UK across the
English Channel on small boats, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The
officers were charged at Westminster Magistrates’ Court with conspiracy
to steal, misconduct in public office, and money laundering for alleged
offenses between August 2021 and November 2022.
Prosecutors told the court the defendants worked on Britain’s south coast “dealing with recent arrivals on small boats.” It stated that many of these people arrived “with relatively large sums of money in cash on their person,” and that the officers “worked together to take that money for themselves and share it.”
A
sixth defendant faces a single charge of money laundering. All six were
granted bail, with their next hearing scheduled at Southwark Crown
Court next month. None were asked to enter pleas.
The case comes
amid rising tensions over immigration across the UK as illegal boat
crossings have become a focal point for many voters and have led to a
rise of anti-immigration sentiment. The controversy has further been
escalated by increasing criminal activity linked to illegals.
Earlier this week, The Times reported on a black market in fake
skilled-worker visa sponsorships. An investigation found agents charging
up to £20,000 ($27,500) to fabricate payroll records for non-existent
jobs, allowing migrants to stay in the UK while forcing them into
unofficial cash-in-hand work.
The issues have eroded trust in the
British government, with polls showing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s
approval rating plummeting while support for Nigel Farage’s opposition
right-wing Reform party has risen.
The government has responded by
announcing a planned overhaul of its immigration policy in an effort to
reduce the number of arriving illegals. In November, the British Home
Office also proposed confiscating high-value assets, including vehicles
and “bags full of gold rings,” from asylum seekers to help cover the cost of benefits.