UK breaks key link in illegal immigration network across English Channel

In the first quarter of 2024, British authorities dealt with 5,373 cases of illegal migrants arriving on the southern coast of the country after crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The figure is up nearly 42% on last year, according to the Home Office, reflecting the increasingly complex situation of illegal migrants arriving in the UK on small boats.

Since the beginning of this year, at least seven migrants have died attempting to reach Britain illegally, including children aged between seven and 14.

Last year, a total of nearly 30,000 people crossed the English Channel into Britain, mostly from Afghanistan, Iran, Türkiye, Eritrea and Iraq.

Faced with this situation, the British Government has focused on removing the important link, which is the number of small boats crossing the English Channel, which is increasing rapidly.

Since 2022, Britain has been working with Bulgaria, a Balkan country, to stop rubber boat shipments reaching the European Union (EU) before they are used for illegal Channel crossings to Britain.

Over the past year, Bulgarian customs have seized 52 engines, 49 rubber boats, 755 hand pumps and 110 life jackets, mostly on trucks traveling from Türkiye to Western Europe.

At the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint, on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, hundreds of trucks heading west every day are required to pass through an X-ray scanner. Customs officers and sniffer dogs then inspect each truck for any of the products listed above.

Customs officers said the unusual shape of the engine was easy to spot and from there, bags containing carefully folded rubber boats inside were also found.

In addition, specially trained sniffer dogs to detect the smell of rubber were also mobilized to perform this task.

He has spent a total of £1.2 million (more than $1.5 million) on training personnel and providing equipment, including surveillance drones, to take part in these missions.

During a visit to Sofia last February, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stressed the important role of the partnership between his country and Bulgaria in efforts to prevent illegal migration.

The UK government's agreements with countries such as Bulgaria and Albania have significantly reduced the number of migrants from the Balkan countries, promoting certain changes. However, experts say the illegal migration network is very sophisticated.

After authorities shut down the rubber boat supply, many different sources were discovered, showing that criminals are always finding new tricks to deal with law enforcement measures.