People-smuggling gangs attempting to ship migrants to the United Kingdom have reportedly shifted their attention to Belgium in a bid to escape police patrols in France.
In recent years, the number of migrants choosing to take the perilous journey across the English Channel has skyrocketed. In 2025, around 41,000 people arrived in the UK via small boat. Over the past decade, dozens of people have died attempting the crossing.
The vast majority of crossings start in France, with Calais and Dunkirk being the usual starting points.
However, it appears that smugglers are starting to launch further north in Belgium, despite facing a longer and more dangerous journey from the Belgian coast to the UK.
Police from the Westkust police zone in Flanders told the BBC that there have been at least five crossings so far this year. There were none in the area in 2025.
There have also been reports of small boat activity near the coastal towns of Nieuwpoort and De Panne. Just last week, 15 migrants were found near the Nieuwpoort marina.
A Westkust Police spokesperson said: "They were carrying an inflatable rubber boat, an outdoor motor, and jerry cans of gasoline. Of the 15 people, only four were equipped with life jackets. The findings indicate that the group of men intended to cross to the United Kingdom."
Police say gangs are using 'taxi boats' that move along the coast to pick up migrants in Belgian waters before heading towards France.
'Extremely dangerous in every respect'
The UK government has given £1.3 million to Belgian law enforcement to deter smuggling attempts. The Federal Police said it was stepping up patrols, both on land and at sea, as well as from the air, with the deployment of the Frontex aircraft.
They assess that the reported rise in attempted small boat crossings from Belgium has been triggered by a recent clampdown on smugglers by French authorities.
In a bid to tackle the issue, the UK government set up a “one in, one out” scheme with France last year, meaning that for each migrant the UK returns to France, a migrant with a strong case for asylum in the UK can go there in return. French officials have also stepped up their interventions in recent months, putting pressure on smugglers.
Retired coastguard Andy Roberts told the BBC that he was concerned about the health risks for those attempting longer journeys from Belgium.
"The majority of migrants wade out to the boats that take them, so they're soaking wet up to their chest before they even set off,” said Roberts. The boats are overcrowded, and they're crossing the busiest thoroughfare for shipping in the world; it's extremely dangerous in every respect."
