46 criminals and immigration offenders have been returned to
Vietnam and Timor-Leste on a groundbreaking charter flight.
The operation is the UK's first-ever charter returns flight to
Timor-Leste, and the first to Vietnam since 2022.
It comes after the Home Secretary announced this week that she
has immediately replaced flight planning for Rwanda with flights
to return foreign criminals and immigration offenders who have no
right to be in the UK to their home country.
After setting off on Wednesday (24 July), the flight arrived in
Timor-Leste at approximately 9am BST today (25 July), having
transported the cohort from the UK to the two countries in
south-east Asia.
The flight highlights the government's commitment to expanding
its returns ability for individuals without the right to remain
in the UK and building strong relationships with partner nations
in a shared mission to end irregular migration. Vietnam has
recently been one of the top nationalities crossing the Channel
in small boats.
The operation began on the same day as a gang of British
people-smugglers, including a brother and sister, were jailed
after trying to hide two Vietnamese migrants in a hidden
compartment of their campervan.
Home Secretary said:
“Today's flight shows the government is taking quick and decisive
action to secure our borders and return those with no right to be
here.
“We thank the Governments of Vietnam and Timor-Leste for their
co-operation, without which this could never have happened. Our
strong diplomatic bonds with other countries have never been more
crucial to our mission to bring order back into the asylum and
immigration system, tackling irregular migration, and making sure
the rules are properly respected and enforced."
Images from the court case show the migrants crammed into the
dangerously small crawlspace, less than 1ft high, as they were
transported between the UK and France.
Siblings Natalie Sirrell and Alan Sirrell, Casey Dennis
Loughnane, and Charlotte Smyth have been sentenced after a
hearing at Canterbury Crown Court.
The court heard how on 19 July 2020, Border Force officers
conducted a search of a campervan bound for the UK in Coquelles,
France. During the search, they found two Vietnamese nationals
concealed underneath a bed.
Driving the van was Natalie Sirrell, with Charlotte Smyth in the
passenger seat. Both were arrested at the
scene.
An investigation led officers to identify Alan Sirrell, Loughnane
and Benjamin Tokeley as further members of the smuggling
operation.
Alan Sirrell was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars
and Loughnane to four-and-a-half years after being found guilty
at trial of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach
of UK immigration law.
Natalie Sirrell was sentenced to two years suspended, electronic
monitoring and a £500 fine, and Smyth to two years suspended
after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to the same offence.
Credit was given by the Judge due to the length of time passed to
reach court, and for early pleas from Natalie Sirrell and Smyth.
Tokeley pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and is due to be
sentenced separately at a later date.
Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation Lead for
the North East Command, Stuart Wilkinson
said:
“Today's sentencing is the result of strong collaboration between
agencies to bring another people-smuggling ring to justice.
“Our teams will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders
and clamp down on the gangs who heartlessly endanger vulnerable
people to make money. I am enormously grateful for the tireless
efforts of the officers involved in this case.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Defendants: Natalie Sirrell (10/02/1971), Charlotte Louise
Smyth (07/03/1987), Alan John Sirrell (09/06/1967), Casey Denniss
Loughnane (13/11/1979)
- Benjamin Mark Tokeley (05/11/1980) - to be sentenced at a
later date.
- Sentences:
-
- Casey LOUGHNANE- four-and-a-half years, reduced to 42
months in prison.
- Alan SIRRELL- three-and-a-half years, reduced to 30
months in prison.
- Natalie SIRRELL- two years suspended, electronic tag and
£500 fine.
- Charlotte SMYTH- two years suspended, 200 hours work,
£1,000.
