- UK government disrupts key highway for illegal migration to the UK by sanctioning gangs exploiting Western Balkans route, and financiers supplying small boat equipment.
- Targets include Balkan-based criminal gangs involved in selling fake passports, and shadowy financial network supplying small boat engines
- Sanctions latest example of cooperation with Western Balkan countries to tackle organised immigration crime, as Prime Minister hosts European leaders in London.
Gang members and shadowy financiers enabling the vile people-smuggling trade, including a Kosovan passport forgery ring, have been banned from travelling to the UK and frozen out of the UK’s financial system as part of the government’s crackdown on the gangs exploiting a key transit route for illegal migration.
Today’s sanctions restrict their ability to facilitate people-smuggling to the UK and demonstrate the government’s determination to publicly expose anyone propping up the vile trade in people, wherever they are in the world. Naming and shaming these individuals, who benefit from remaining anonymous, makes it more difficult for them to operate.
The announcement comes as the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, hosts the Western Balkans Summit in London, bringing together Western Balkan and other European leaders to discuss regional cooperation, illegal migration, European security and economic development.
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer said
There’s a criminal route through the Western Balkans bringing illegal migrants to the UK, and we’re determined to shut it down by working with European partners.
Our joint efforts have already halved irregular border crossings and cut Albanian small boat arrivals by 95%. Through a new Joint Migration Taskforce, British drones, and tougher sanctions, we’re going after the smuggling gangs at every stage to put them out of business and deliver security for working people.
Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper said
The Western Balkans is a major transit route for ruthless people-smuggling gangs who trade in human suffering.
Our world-leading sanctions regime is a crucial tool in pursuing gangs who operate beyond our borders and exposing the shadowy networks that prop them up. Working alongside our partners in the region, we are taking decisive action to secure our borders and make us stronger here at home.
Today’s sanctions are the latest step in a crackdown by the UK government and partners on the criminal networks that drive illegal migration to the UK. These actions have seen the number of migrants recorded by Frontex as transiting through the Western Balkans drop from over 140,000 in 2022 to just over 21,000 in 2024.
Targeted today, with support from the Kosovan authorities are the Krasniqi forgery network, a Kosovo-based criminal gang who ran a sophisticated forgery lab producing fake documents. Nusret Seferović, whose gang supplied fake Croatian passports to Balkan gangs, has also been sanctioned.
The UK will additionally sanction several international financiers for their role in supporting people-smugglers, including the ALPA Trading FZCO, which processes money for smuggling gangs.
Alongside sanctions, the FCDO works with countries to deter would-be migrants from making a dangerous journey in the first place and works with the Home Office to negotiate the return of people who have no right to be here to their countries of origin, including criminals and failed asylum seekers.
Earlier this month, the Foreign Secretary announced £10 million of investment to combat people-smuggling across the Western Balkans and other regions across the world. This funding will drive a series of initiatives, including enhanced law enforcement training in Kosovo, reinforced border security measures, and expanded support services for individuals at risk of trafficking in Serbia.
Notes to editors
Balkan-based criminal groups and gang leaders
Krasniqi network
A Kosovo-based organised crime group responsible for producing false documents and supplying them to criminal gangs. The group created false passports, IDs and driving licenses for over 50 countries, including the UK, using a sophisticated forgery laboratory. These include
- Burim Krasniqi, the leader of the Krasniqi network.
- Arif Krasniqi, an intermediary of the group who sourced clients for their services.
- Flamur Krasniqi, a member of the group found in possession of forged documents.
- Valon Krasniqi, involved in the production of forged documents.
- Sami Duriqi, involved in the production of forged documents.
- Granit Avdyli, involved in the production of documents and the advertising of the group’s services.
- Nexhmije Selmani, provided premises used by the group for document forgery and was involved with sourcing forgery equipment.
- Endrit Ermellahu, involved in the production of forged documents.
- Shkembim Ermellahu, a member of the group found in possession of forged documents.
Nusret Seferović
Seferović is the leader of a Croatian gang which supplied false Croatian passports to Balkan gangs to facilitate entry into European countries. Seferovic identified Croatian citizens who had not taken up their documents and then used their identities to procure false passports. These were then sold to organised crime groups, including the Škaljari and Kavač gangs, both of which are sanctioned under the UK’s Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime.
International people-smuggling financiers
ALPA Network
A network involved in illicit finance for people-smuggling gangs – sanctioned today are
- ALPA Trading FZCO, a company within the ALPA network, used to process money and procure small boat components for people-smuggling gangs.
- Ali Derakhshan, oversees the day-to-day operations of the ALPA network of companies, including money transfer and the procurement of small boat components.
- Vahid Derakhshan, involved in the financial activities of the ALPA network.
Background to the Global Irregular Migration sanctions regime
Asset freeze
An asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person.
Travel ban
A travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.
Director disqualifications
Where director disqualification sanctions apply, it will be an offence for a person designated for the purpose of those sanctions to act as a director of a company or to take part in the management, formation or promotion of a UK company.