People-traffickers organising cross-Channel trips for migrants raked in £183million last year 

People-trafficking gangs made £183million last year from their exploitation of Channel migrants, a report by the Labour Party suggests.

The opposition pledged to crack down on organised crime groups – and their money – as it published figures on the profits being made in the evil trade.

It suggested that, as the average charge for an illegal crossing by small boat is estimated by French police at £4,000, the gang’s earnings were £183million last year, based on the record 45,756 arrivals.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘The Conservatives have allowed an entire multi-million-pound dangerous criminal industry to grow up along our border in the space of just three years.

People-trafficking gangs made £183million last year, according to a report by the Labour party

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Labour had drawn up a plan which ‘hits hard at the heart of the criminal gangs’

‘Criminals are making big money from putting tens of thousands of lives at risk and making a mockery of UK border security.

‘Shockingly the Government has allowed the gangs to proliferate and their profits to soar.

‘These criminal smuggling and trafficking gangs cannot be allowed to get away with this.’

Ms Cooper said Labour had drawn up a plan which ‘hits hard at the heart of the criminal gangs’. 

And if it wins the next general election, the party will set up a ‘new elite cell’ in the National Crime Agency.

The unit, with more than 100 officers, will ‘go after these smuggling gangs upstream’ in co-operation with French, German and Belgian authorities, the MP said.