Belgium is becoming the new point of departure for the gangs who traffic migrants across the Channel to England. It is reported that small boats are being launched from the Belgian coast, which then sail west to France, collecting migrants as if they were passengers waiting for a bus.

The Belgian towns of Middelkerke, Nieuwpoort, De Haan and De Panne have all been identified as launch sites for migrant boats. According to Frontex, Europe’s border security agency, they began noticing a change in the smugglers’ tactics at the start of this year.

Last year, there were no recorded cases of small boats setting out from the Belgian coast but in the first two months of this year, five vessels were detected. The route is far more perilous, being twice the distance of the 20 miles that separate England from Calais. The powerful offshore currents between Belgium and England add to the danger. A spokesman from Frontex told the Times:

People smugglers are diverse in their origins but they all share a fierce determination

People smugglers are diverse in their origins but they all share a........

© The Spectator