Channel smuggling gangs resort to 'mega-dinghies' as crackdown limits small boat supply
Summary
People smuggling gangs helping migrants cross the English Channel are using larger boats, called "mega-dinghies," because fewer small boats are available. French police say they are stopping most small boats, so gangs are loading more people onto bigger boats and charging higher prices.Key Facts
- Smugglers are using bigger boats after small boats have become harder to get.
- A 15-meter boat recently carried a record 230 migrants toward the UK.
- French police claim they intercept two-thirds of small boats before they reach the coast.
- Prices for a crossing have increased from about €1,300 to up to €2,000 per person.
- Migrants now must pay in cash before their journey to show commitment.
- Some smugglers are working together to carry more people on fewer boats.
- The UK and France plan to send more police officers to the French coast to stop crossings.
- Emergency teams worry larger boats are more dangerous, as seen when a boat caught fire in the Channel, requiring rescue.
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