Boat carrying 38 people towards UK launched from Netherlands, prosecutors say

A small boat carrying 38 people towards the UK was launched from Dutch territory, prosecutors have confirmed, prompting Dover MP Mike Tapp to warn that people-smuggling gangs will seek new routes as enforcement increases elsewhere.

The boat was found without an engine near Cadzand on Saturday. The incident was unusual in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch Red Cross, whose representative said the overcrowded vessel did not look safe. Two men were being questioned on suspicion of people smuggling, police said.

“As launch disruptions grow, the criminal gangs will adapt and a part of that will be finding new launch locations and methods,” Tapp said. He added that operational efforts would need to be agile.

The Netherlands is the latest in a widening stretch of coastline used for attempted Channel crossings. The BBC reported launches from Belgium earlier this year, while former Border Force chief Tony Smith said smugglers had also tried routes from Normandy and Belgium. He called for the UK’s Border Security Command to adapt its operations.

The UK government said crossings were down significantly this year. Between 1 January and 31 October, 22,128 people crossed the Channel by small boat from France, 40% fewer than in the same period last year, according to figures cited by the BBC. The Home Office said joint work with international partners had prevented more than 50,000 crossing attempts and seized 1,100 boats and engines since the election.

Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink said the incident was “highly disturbing” and that Dutch authorities would meet to consider what could be learned from it. The Red Cross said it was not familiar with such movements but would remain alert.