More attempts at longer migrant small boat crossings in the Channel
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reports on growing trends in migrant crossings:
Migrants using longer, more dangerous routes across Channel
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By Alex Bish
South and South East investigations
(Getty Images) - Smugglers have launched small boats from beaches much further from Calais and Dunkirk.
A growing number of migrants are attempting to cross the Channel in small boats via longer routes, starting from beaches farther south and west of Calais and Dunkirk, according to French authorities.
Last week, one boat departed from Normandy and spent over 30 hours at sea before being intercepted by Border Force and taken to Dover. Although rare, attempts from Normandy have increased this year; authorities in Seine-Maritime confirm 58 such attempts so far compared to 30 last year.
The UK government emphasizes its efforts to combat dangerous small boat crossings, with statistics showing a significant decline in arrivals this year. Despite the overall decrease, the areas used for smuggling seem to be expanding.
Earlier this month, another migrant boat was met by lifeboats from the Isle of Wight after setting off from the Cherbourg area—a journey of nearly 80 miles (128 km) from the usual crossing points.
Audrey Baconnais-Rosez, a local government representative in Seine-Maritime, remarks:
"The number of attempts to cross the Channel has increased and it is getting further and further from the north of France."
She adds that authorities have been successful in halting half of the attempted crossings. The coastal patrols in Dieppe and the surrounding areas have been reinforced with approximately 50 gendarmes and nearly 20 police officers. Baconnais-Rosez also mentions ongoing efforts to stop smugglers from using ferries to Newhaven, Sussex.
Dr Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory, attributes these new routes to police disruptions in northern France:
"It's not at all optimal for these boats to set off so far away from their intended destination... Some of these journeys would not be 20 miles (32km) but 50 miles (80km) or even more, which substantially increases the danger."