UK sanctions Balkan gangs and financiers fueling people-smuggling to Britain

Announced on the day Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Western Balkan and European leaders in London, the measures target a Kosovo-based forgery ring, a Croatian passport network, and financiers accused of supplying small-boat equipment to smugglers.

The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans, effectively barring the designated individuals and companies from accessing the UK financial system or entering the country.

Among those sanctioned is the Krasniqi network, a Kosovo-based organized crime group accused of producing forged passports, identity cards and driving licenses for more than 50 countries, including the UK, using what the Foreign Office described as a “sophisticated forgery laboratory.”

The group’s members include Burim, Arif, Flamur and Valon Krasniqi, as well as Sami Duriqi, Granit Avdyli, Nexhmije Selmani, Endrit Ermellahu and Shkembim Ermellahu, who are accused of various roles in the forgery and distribution of fake documents.

Also named is Nusret Seferovic, alleged leader of a Croatian gang that supplied counterfeit Croatian passports to organized crime groups across the Balkans. According to the UK government, Seferovic’s network used the identities of Croatian citizens who had not collected their passports to create fake travel documents later sold to major criminal organisations, including the Skaljari and Kavac gangs, both previously sanctioned by London.

The UK has also sanctioned several financiers accused of laundering profits from people-smuggling and purchasing boat components used in Channel crossings.

These include ALPA Trading FZCO, a company within the Dubai-based ALPA Network, along with its operators Ali and Vahid Derakhshan, who the UK says handled money transfers and procurement of small boat engines for smuggling operations.

Speaking at the Western Balkans Summit in London, Prime Minister Starmer said the sanctions demonstrate Britain’s determination to dismantle the networks behind irregular migration.

“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,” Starmer said.

“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.”

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the Western Balkans as 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,” Cooper said. “Working alongside our partners in the region, we are taking decisive action to secure our borders and make us stronger here at home.”

According to the UK government, cooperation with Western Balkan partners has already led to a sharp reduction in irregular migration. The number of people recorded by Frontex as transiting through the region reportedly fell from more than 140,000 in 2022 to just over 21,000 in 2024.

The UK has also pledged £10 million to combat people-smuggling across the Western Balkans, funding initiatives such as border security enhancements, police training in Kosovo, and support programs for individuals at risk of trafficking in Serbia.

The measures were imposed under the Global Irregular Migration Sanctions Regime, launched in July 2025 — the world’s first sanctions framework specifically designed to target people-smuggling and organised immigration crime.

This is the second package of sanctions under the regime, following a July round that targeted 25 individuals and entities across Europe, Asia and North Africa.

The sanctions impose asset freezes, travel bans, and in some cases director disqualifications, preventing those listed from managing or owning UK-registered companies.

Officials said the measures aim not only to restrict the gangs’ access to funds and resources but also to “name and shame” key figures who have long operated in secrecy.

“Naming and shaming these individuals, who benefit from remaining anonymous, makes it more difficult for them to operate,” the government said in a statement.

The full list of designated individuals and entities is available on the UK Sanctions List published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).