People smugglers are turning to larger “mega-dinghies” to move migrants across the Channel after running short of smaller boats, according to a new BBC investigation.
The issue drew widespread attention last month when images emerged of an enormous inflatable vessel carrying 230 migrants arriving in Britain during the night.
That August 10 crossing set a new record for the highest number of people recorded on a single small boat, surpassing the previous high of 165, which had been reached just 17 days earlier.
The number of people on board exceeded the typical passenger capacity of a Boeing 737.
The record-breaking arrival fuelled claims that politicians had “lost control” of illegal migration, while French police faced renewed criticism over their failure to stop the crossing.
But the investigation has now uncovered a different reason behind the sudden emergence of these mega-dinghies – smugglers are running out of smaller vessels.
This is largely due to the success of law enforcement efforts to disrupt equipment supply chains.
With fewer boats available, rival criminal groups that would once have operated separately are now being forced to work together, cramming larger numbers of migrants onto fewer, bigger vessels.
The public was shocked by images of a huge inflatable packed with 230 migrants arriving in Britain
Gang members have reportedly revealed that more of these huge boats are already being prepared, raising fresh concerns among emergency teams on both sides of the Channel over the increased risk to human life.
The dangers were highlighted on August 4, when 170 people had to be rescued after their dinghy caught fire in the middle of the Channel.
And now with French authorities claiming they are intercepting two-thirds of small boats before they can reach the coast, that means fewer crossing opportunities.
And for migrants hoping for a spot on a boat, it means they will have to pay a higher price.
People traffickers are currently thought to charge around £2,000 per head for illegal passage to Britain.
With about £10,000 in assumed costs for the trip, the August 10 mega-dinghy crossing could have made them a staggering £450,000 profit.
These new mega-dinghies are ‘floating deathtraps’ and at 42ft are longer than a double-decker bus.
Former chief inspector of borders and immigration David Neal said: ‘Organised crime gangs are very adept at getting around any measures put in place by law enforcement.
‘If police manage to close down one avenue through which smugglers were obtaining dinghies and maritime equipment, the gangs will immediately switch to look for other manufacturers, importation routes, and so on. Dealing with organised criminals is a constant game of cat-and-mouse.
‘The use of extra-large dinghies suggests that traffickers have changed their tactics in this way. It is likely they have secured a new manufacturer which is now making these larger boats to order.
‘It could even indicate that law enforcement’s success in seizing outboard motors is driving up the size of the boats – in other words, they have fewer motors and so are using them to power a smaller number of larger dinghies.’
He added that these giant boats pose a grave risk to life, due to the risk of people drowning and being trampled and crushed.
‘The authorities may even be more reluctant to approach such vessels at sea because the wake created by patrol boats would risk destabilising these unseaworthy dinghies already so overloaded,’ he said.
This prospect of mass drownings is what keeps home secretaries awake at night.
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Previous incumbents have privately spoken of the guilt they felt in the wake of Channel deaths, pondering whether there was anything they could have done to prevent the loss of life.
Neal said: ‘Traffickers care only about their profits and are indifferent to the safety of the migrants they smuggle. They will corral ever-higher numbers of migrants into these death-trap dinghies just to make money, with potentially disastrous consequences.
‘All in all, the very worthy aim of targeting organised crime gangs and their supply chains may have had the unintended side-effect of making Channel crossings even more dangerous.’
However, it remains to be seen whether these mega-dinghies will prove as effective as the smaller boats, with Channel crossings hitting a six-year low this summer.
Nearly 7,000 people made the journey in small boats between June and August.
The number of small-boat migrant arrivals fell to its seasonal lowest since 2020, with 6,949 crossing the Channel in the three summer months. The number of boats arriving in Britain fell to its lowest since 2019.
While critics have put the decrease down to bad weather, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood attributed the drop to increased international co-operation blocking people smugglers’ supply chain for boats, lifebelts and outboard motors.
Mega dinghy full of migrants reported to carry 165
A patrol boat hands over life jackets to a raft off Gravelines, near Calais
She also credited a £662million deal with France to place more officers on beaches and take on new interception tactics.
A total of 16,391 migrants have crossed from France to the UK so far this year, down 43 per cent on the same time last year, and an 18 per cent decrease on the same period in 2024.
Ms Mahmood said: ‘This Government is committed to restoring order at our border. This work is beginning to bear fruit, with June, July and August recording the lowest number of small-boat crossings in seven years. But we know there is more to do.
‘We will be relentless in targeting the criminal gangs behind these crossings, and we will continue to remove the incentives that draw people here on unsafe and illegal routes.’
Small-boat crossings will be one of the main issues discussed when Andy Burnham hosts French President Emmanuel Macron in No10 for the first time, according to officials.
The Prime Minister will be eager to continue the one-in, one-out scheme with France, designed to act as a deterrent to crossings.
The two leaders are expected to announce plans for a new ‘surge team’ of French police, funded by Britain, to tackle the growing use of ‘mega-dinghies’, carrying up to 230 migrants.
The two leaders are expected to confirm that the total number of French police dedicated to stopping the boats has topped 1,000 for the first time with the creation of a 75-strong specialist unit.
A ‘surge team’ of 45 officers will be deployed to western beaches where criminal gangs have taken to launching huge, dangerous dinghies this summer.
The ‘one in, one out’ deal has led to the removal of around 1,400 illegal migrants to France, with a similar number of legitimate asylum seekers allowed to travel to the UK.
Despite the tiny numbers involved, No 10 yesterday insisted the deal was a ‘significant step in the right direction’.
Mr Burnham said: ‘The progress we have seen this summer shows what can be achieved when the UK and France work together.
‘But I am clear that we cannot be complacent. Smuggling gangs are constantly adapting their tactics, and the UK and France need to respond quickly and stay one step ahead of the criminals facilitating the dangerous crossings.
‘The small boats crisis is a shared European challenge, and no country can solve it alone. Working with France and our international partners, we will restore order and control to our borders and prevent smugglers exploiting vulnerable migrants.’