Now small boats are being launched from BELGIUM as migrants bypass French crackdown

Dinghies are now being launched from towns as far as De Haan, near Bruges, before travelling for up to four hours to pick up migrants in locations such as Dunkirk and Gravelines.

A spokesman for Frontex, the European border agency, told The Times the trend of launches from Belgium was first identified in February.

In one incident on April 7, a Belgian law enforcement vessel tracked a dinghy as it left a beach near Nieuwpoort.

The boat then headed towards Dunkirk, where a French patrol vessel took over monitoring it.

That same day, 137 migrants arrived in Britain on two boats.

While numbers remain small compared to crossings from France, departures from Belgian beaches have risen sharply.

Police spokeswoman An Berger said there have already been 17 launches this year, compared to no more than two annually since 2021.

Last month, Ms Berger said volunteers rescued 19 people from a sinking dinghy near De Haan.

Those on board told Belgian police they had been travelling for six to seven hours.

Marine police arrested everyone on the vessel, with an investigation launched into a suspected human trafficking gang behind the crossing.

“This shows once again how dangerous it is to attempt that crossing to the UK,” she added.

French police have stepped up their presence on beaches, deploying tear gas and slashing boats to disrupt crossings.

Drones and light aircraft are now being used to monitor the coastline as part of the crackdown.

Officers in towns such as Le Touquet have also deployed planes and horses to patrol more difficult coastal terrain.

Belgian authorities have increased patrols along the coast, carrying out checks “on water, on land and also from the air”, with support from Frontex aircraft, a spokeswoman told Belga News Agency.

When asked for comment by Reuters, Belgian Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt said: “Every boat that departs is one too many.”

Last month, Belgium’s Minister of Security and the Interior, Bernard Quintin, met Migration Minister Alex Norris to discuss how the two countries could “strengthen the exchange of information” to tackle smuggling gangs.

Some in Belgium have called on Mr Quintin to close the border with France to stem the flow of migrants travelling through the country en route to Britain.

West Flanders governor Carl Decaluwé said: “They are being dropped off by people smugglers with buses at the border and trying to leave on our coast.

“We saw as many as 80 transmigrants arriving by bus at the border this week. We stand there with four people checking and that is no longer sustainable.”

A Frontex spokesman said: "While we do not have precise information on the exact routes or final destinations of all vessels, a limited number of groups have been sighted gathering in coastal areas such as Middelkerke, Nieuwpoort, De Haan and De Panne.

"Available information suggests that these movements are not isolated. In some cases, boats may operate across maritime zones, including entering French territorial waters.

"This indicates that the routes are interconnected rather than vessels strictly departing from a single coastline."

A Home Office spokesman said: "We are aware of dangerous and illegal small boat launches from Belgium. Through continued shared intelligence and close partnerships with Belgian authorities, numerous others have been successfully prevented to prevent illegal arrivals to the UK."

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