Migrant smugglers are increasingly utilizing larger "mega-dinghies" for Channel crossings, a shift attributed to law enforcement success in disrupting the supply of smaller vessels, according to a BBC investigation.
This tactic has emerged as overall small boat crossings to the UK hit a six-year low this summer, with nearly 7,000 people making the journey between June and August. The number of arrivals in Britain during these months was the lowest since 2019.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood credited the decrease to enhanced international cooperation in blocking smugglers' supply chains for boats, life vests, and outboard motors, as well as a £662 million deal with France to increase border patrols and interception tactics. "This Government is committed to restoring order at our border," Mahmood stated, noting that June, July, and August recorded the lowest number of small-boat crossings in seven years.
However, the emergence of mega-dinghies, some measuring 42 feet and capable of carrying up to 230 migrants, presents new safety concerns. One such crossing on August 10 saw a record 230 people arrive, far exceeding previous records. These larger vessels are described as "floating deathtraps," increasing the risk of drowning, trampling, and crushing.
David Neal, former chief inspector of borders and immigration, explained that organized crime gangs are adept at circumventing law enforcement measures. "Dealing with organised criminals is a constant game of cat-and-mouse," he said, suggesting that the shift to larger boats may indicate new manufacturing sources or a response to the seizure of outboard motors, leading smugglers to use fewer motors to power larger vessels. He also noted that authorities might be more reluctant to approach overloaded mega-dinghies due to the risk of destabilizing them.
Despite the drop in crossings, the strategy of disrupting supply chains may have inadvertently made the journeys more dangerous by forcing smugglers to consolidate migrants onto fewer, larger boats. Traffickers are reportedly charging approximately £2,000 per person for passage. The August 10 mega-dinghy crossing, with an estimated £10,000 in costs, could have generated a profit of £450,000.
In response to the evolving tactics, the UK and France are expected to announce plans for a new, British-funded "surge team" of French police. This team, comprising 45 officers, will focus on western beaches where gangs have launched the larger dinghies. These efforts are part of a broader initiative that has seen the total number of French police dedicated to stopping boat crossings exceed 1,000 for the first time, including a new 75-strong specialist unit.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to discuss these measures with French President Emmanuel Macron, aiming to continue the "one in, one out" scheme, which involves returning illegal migrants to France in exchange for a similar number of asylum seekers permitted to travel to the UK. While the scheme has led to the removal of about 1,400 illegal migrants, Downing Street described it as a "significant step in the right direction."