LONDON — The number of small boats crossing the English Channel has fallen to its lowest level for seven years this summer, but smuggling gangs appear to be transporting more migrants on fewer, increasingly crowded vessels.Some 102 small boats carried migrants across the Channel between June and August, the lowest total recorded over the summer period since 2019, when 57 vessels made the journey.The decline in vessel numbers has nevertheless coincided with a sharp increase in the average number of people travelling on each boat.Data covering the year to August 27 showed that boats arriving in the UK carried an average of 68 people, more than double the average recorded in 2021.The figures suggest that people-smuggling networks are adapting their operations by using fewer but larger and more heavily loaded vessels.The image of a 15-meter-long small boat carrying a record 230 migrants towards the UK drew condemnation from both the media and politicians.Gang members have told BBC that others are being prepared, to the concern of emergency teams on both sides of the Channel, because of the increased risk to more lives. On 4 August, 170 people had to be rescued after their boats caught fire in the middle of the Channel.Ministers were accused of “losing control” of illegal Channel crossings, and the French police again found themselves criticized for not intervening.The UK and France are announcing measures to increase the number of police officers on the French coast in order to try to stop the migrants.The latest initiative comes as Andy Burnham prepares to host French President Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street for the first time since becoming prime minister.With French officers claiming they are now intercepting two-thirds of small boats before they can reach the coast, that means fewer crossing opportunities. And for those hoping to make the journey, it means a higher price.Today, the gangs are quoting up to €2,000 (£1,700) per person. It used to be around €1,300 just a year ago. Their passengers also have to now pay in cash, to ensure commitment.Before, the gangs would often launch boats in the dead of night, but with increased police patrols, charity workers say the gangs now see the middle of the day as a better opportunity, as it allows them to better co-ordinate boarding.”You feel guilty being there — going to the beach and having a good time, while these families are in such terrible situations,” observes a woman with her young daughter. “We regularly see people on the beach attempting the crossing. It feels like living in two parallel worlds that have nothing to do with each other; it’s really strange.”The migrants remaining will wait for their next opportunity, as per their agreement with the gangs. But because of more robust policing that wait is now typically weeks, even months, rather than days.They also need a favourable weather window: the wind needs to ideally be under 5 knots and waves need to be less than 0.8m for a small boat to have a chance of making it across.To improve their chances of avoiding detection, migrants are sleeping closer to the beach in the woods or among the dunes, instead of at the larger camps where they can wash, or receive food, water and medication.As the intense heat bears down on a tent where people can charge their devices, BBC met two young Egyptian men who are visibly tired and disheartened. They have been staying in squalid conditions for months and have made several unsuccessful attempts to cross.”The police stopped us from leaving and destroyed the boats,” explains one. He says he wants to go to the UK so he can work and obtain legal papers.A young Sudanese woman and Afghan man said they had also tried to cross dozens of times. The UK has been quick to praise the French police for reducing crossing numbers to a six-year low. Officials also cite a deeper, more coordinated level of coordination between the two countries.The government said joint British and French enforcement operations had prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts since the 2024 election.The National Crime Agency and international partners have also seized more than 1,100 boats and engines in an effort to disrupt the supply chains used by people-smuggling networks.Ministers are seeking to strengthen immigration enforcement further through the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is being spearheaded by the government as part of its wider efforts to reduce irregular migration.
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