Hundreds of migrants are being smuggled across the English Channel into France as crime gangs seek to profit from seasonal labour demands and visa restrictions to traffick undocumented workers out of Britain.
Law enforcement sources on both sides of the Channel have told The i Paper that dozens of migrants and asylum seekers at a time are being illegally transported into France from the Kent coast in a grim reversal of the people smuggling networks operating small boat crossings to the UK.
An increasing stream of human trafficking victims is heading to the Continent via ports such as Dover, in a “reverse flow” cross-Channel operation allowing smuggling gangs to line their pockets in both directions.
Shorts
The National Crime Agency (NCA), which is spearheading the Government’s attempts to crack down on small boat crossings, has warned that lorry drivers are being recruited by traffickers to transport people into France illegally. Those trying to cross into France at entry points such as Calais are being charged fees ranging from £400 to as much £1,300.
