The United Kingdom introduced on Wednesday sanctions against 25 people from China, the Middle East and the Balkans who are accused of helping migrants to be smuggled across the English Channel.
The decision comes at the same time as the British government is under increasing pressure to stop migrant journeys with small boats from northern France, as the number has reached record levels this year.
The travel bans and frozen assets introduced are aimed at, among others, four "gangs" and "gang leaders" operating in the Balkans, according to the Foreign Office.
The sanctions also include a supplier of small boats in China, and seven suspected human traffickers with links to Iraq.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office a year ago with the promise to stop these journeys by "crushing the gangs" that enable them, but has had difficulty fulfilling it.
