Article de la BBC (regard impérialiste)
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De : Maël Galisson
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4ww949ze3o
Small boat attempts continue from Belgium’s beaches
Alex BishSouth East Investigations
*Smugglers have made more attempts to launch small boats into the English
Channel from beaches in Belgium, according to police.*
It comes days after Belgian police told the BBC they were stepping up
patrols, after smugglers targeted the Belgian coast
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q3pey2lpqo, away from the main
launch sites in France. For a number of years there had only been isolated
cases of migrants departing from the country’s coastline, but several cases
have been recorded in recent weeks. The Home Office said it was working
with international partners to drive down small boat crossings.
Westkust Police said on Wednesday night a vessel was launched in the
coastal town of De Panne, with 14 passengers on board, and was intercepted
in French waters by French police. On Tuesday evening eight people were
arrested on suspicion of human trafficking after six vehicles were
intercepted at locations in Nieuwpoort and Koksijde. Nautical equipment was
also discovered. On 25 February, 15 migrants were discovered near
Nieuwpoort marina and 22 people departed on a boat from the beach in
Oostduinkerke on the night of 24 February.
Police have suggested the recent rise is because of increased pressure on
smugglers in France https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqz1lzdxw1o.
[image: A photograph of the beach at De Panne in Belgium, which shows small
sand dunes in the foreground, then a sandy stretch of beach and the Channel
coast beyond that.]
De Panne, near the French border, is the site of the latest small boat
launch from Belgium
The beaches of Calais and Gravelines near Dunkirk have been the main small
boat launch sites since the number of crossings started to increase from
up land and sea patrols, as well as from the air with the deployment of the
Frontex aircraft. David Raynes, who was part of HM Customs and Excise
National Investigation Service, told BBC South East he was not surprised by
the latest tactics. “Thwarted smugglers constantly try new methods and
routes,” he said. “The Belgian local administration need to be aware, if
they let the smugglers settle to a new pattern, there will quickly develop
camps and infrastructure similar to those in Calais.
“Prevention now, will be much cheaper than future cure,” he added. A
Belgian Federal Police spokesperson said: “Crossing the Channel in a small
boat is extremely dangerous and our goal is, of course, to stop all
attempts to do so.” They added that information was exchanged daily with
the French and British police. In recent years the Home Office has provided
its Belgian counterparts with additional resources to boost security. They
include special night goggles to use on the beaches, extra cameras, and
additional drones with thermal cameras to see in the dark on the beaches
and the dunes. Speaking to the BBC in 2024, governor of the Province of
West-Flanders Carl Decaluwé said one of his aims was to prevent migrant
camps being established in his region.
Government figures show 41,262 people crossed the Channel in small boats
last year https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly07pyde00o - the vast
majority from France - a 13% increase in a year.
The figure remains lower than the peak of 45,774 in 2022. The government
has pledged to “smash the smuggling gangs”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dqqj0v1ndo in order to reduce the
numbers crossing in small boats. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are
driving down small boat crossings and disrupting criminal smuggling gangs
through our work with international partners. “Work with France has
prevented 40,000 crossing attempts under this government, while joint
action with Belgium has seen one of the largest suppliers of small boat
parts behind bars.