UK Offence Report

The Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025

UK Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 902 — creates 11 criminal offences.

11offences created
0recorded in force
0revoked
Made
21 July 2025
In force from
23 July 2025
Extent
Not stated
Subject
International sanctions, export control and trade restrictions
Made under
2018 (c. 13), Parliament under section 55(3) of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

These Regulations are made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (c. 13) to establish a sanctions regime for the purpose of preventing and combating people smuggling, trafficking in persons and the instrumentalisation of migration for the purpose of destabilising a country. The Regulations confer a power on the Secretary of State to designate persons who are, or have been, involved in people smuggling, trafficking in persons or instrumentalisation of migration, as well as criminal activities which facilitate, promote or provide support for such smuggling, trafficking or instrumentalisation or which are intended to do so. Designated persons may be excluded from the United Kingdom and may be made subject to financial sanctions, including having their funds or economic resources frozen, as well as director disqualification sanctions. The Regulations provide for certain exceptions to this sanctions regime (for example to allow for frozen accounts to be credited with interest or other earnings and to allow acts done for the purpose of national security or the prevention of serious crime). The Regulations also confer powers on the Treasury and Secretary of State to issue licences in respect of activities that would otherwise be prohibited under the Regulations. Schedule 2 sets out the purposes for which the Treasury will issue such licences. The Regulations prescribe powers for the provision and sharing of information to enable the effective implementation and enforcement of the sanctions regime. The Regulations make it a criminal offence to contravene, or circumvent, any of the prohibitions in these Regulations and prescribe the mode of trial and penalties that apply to such offences. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen. Instead a de minimis assessment has been prepared as this instrument is likely to entail some costs for businesses, but the net impact is estimated to be below £10 million per year.

Offences created by this instrument

What Parliament said about it

Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

How Parliament handled it

Both Houses had to approve this instrument before it could take effect, and did so.

Procedure
Made affirmative — both Houses had to approve it
Could either House amend it?
No. A statutory instrument is put to each House as a whole thing, to be approved or not. Neither House can change a word of it.
Committee
Drawn to the special attention of the Houses by a scrutiny committee

Procedural history

From Parliament's Statutory Instruments service. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

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