Critics say border security bill for England and Wales likely to have minimal effect as record number of people cross Channel illegally

Suspected people traffickers will face phone bans, social media blocks and travel restrictions under new interim orders that can be in place before any conviction, which ministers say will drastically speed up curbs on activity.

The crackdown will form part of the government’s border security bill expected to be published in the coming weeks, amid new highs in the number of people arriving in the UK in 2024. The number of people crossing the Channel in small boats was up by a quarter on the previous year, figures show.