Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel are taking longer, more dangerous routes to avoid harsh French police action, raising fears of a new small-ship tragedy.
In recent years, police on the French coast have stepped up their anti-crossing efforts, and the UK has provided hundreds of millions of pounds to increase surveillance and police patrols on the beaches.
Here’s what volunteers in Calais told us I that increased police pressure pushed those who wanted to cross the Channel further along the French coast, lengthening the journey to Britain and increasing the risk of small boats being wrecked halfway through.
Rachel, a British volunteer for the Channel Info project, which provides information and digital connectivity to migrants in Calais, said the “hardening of the border” has led people on “increasingly dangerous journeys”.
“Many people used to leave the section of Loon-Plage, which is between Calais and Dunkirk, where many people lowered their boats. But because their area is very heavily patrolled, I heard that people are moving further north or south,” she said.
“The narrowest part of the English Channel is, of course, between Calais and Dover, so whatever comes out of it, the journey becomes much longer and therefore more dangerous.
“Often the problem is that the boats they started on are often incredibly thin and low quality, the engines can fail or they don’t have enough fuel.
“On a longer trip, you are more likely to run out of fuel. Many of the deaths have occurred when water has entered the boat…whether due to breaking waves or the poor quality of the boats.
Rachel, who asked not to be identified by her middle name, said the growing danger posed by the crossings has heightened fears of a new canal disaster.
“Every time someone dies on this journey, we hold a memorial service in Calais. If you have not had it for a long time, when do you think the next announcement will be? They live with the feeling that the next death, unfortunately, is not far off. This feeling is always present, but especially in winter,” she said.
Francesca of the French migrant organization Utopia56 also said that “more police in Calais means people are leaving”.
“They are moving not only south, but also north, which means they are at sea longer,” she said.
Another worker at L’Auberge Des Migrants, a Calais-based organization that provides food and material assistance to migrants, said she and her colleagues are aware of the Channel crossing further up the coast due to police reinforcements.
Investment in French border police has skyrocketed in recent years as the UK and French governments seek to crack down on border crossings.
Last month, Rishi Sunak announced another £480m deal with France to cover border security costs, including the creation of a new detention center near Dunkirk and the stationing of British officers in France. The French government would invest five times as much money.
This was followed by a £55 million donation from the UK to France for patrol, surveillance and border security infrastructure on the north coast in 2021. The money reportedly helped the French send 800 more officers to patrol the beaches. In 2020, France doubled the number of agents sent to French beaches every day.
At the end of last year, the French announced that by 2022 they would stop 60 percent of all previous conversion attempts. Sunak insists that the additional funds for the French police will help reduce the number of crossings and prove to be a “smart investment”.
The English Channel is the busiest sea route in the world, once traversed by small inflatable boats, risking collision with large ships.
lifeguard tells I that migrants are increasingly stuffed into makeshift plywood and MDF boats, increasing the risk of the makeshift boats collapsing halfway through.
In December, four unidentified men died when their boat crashed into the English Channel. This week, the teenager was charged with manslaughter.
Source: I News
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