Smugglers Find New Route to the UK, Reports Say

As reported by Ukrinform, the agency Reuters has highlighted a concerning trend in human trafficking routes to the United Kingdom. Smugglers are now turning to the Belgian coastline for transporting migrants, a shift that has arisen since stricter controls were implemented along the French coast.

According to Ann Berger, a spokesperson for the Belgian police, while the number of such incidents remains relatively small, there have already been 17 recorded attempts this year alone. This marks a significant increase compared to the previous years, where from 2021, there were no more than two such attempts annually.

Reuters further reports that both the United Kingdom and France have enacted tougher measures against small boats that transport thousands of migrants across the English Channel each year. This crackdown has seemingly forced smugglers to seek alternative routes, with the Belgian coast becoming a focal point for these operations.

Chris Borowski, a spokesperson for the EU border agency Frontex, noted that traffickers have begun utilizing the Belgian shoreline, particularly due to the increased presence of French coastal patrols and other contributing factors. The so-called 'taxi boats' are now operating along the Belgian coast to drop off migrants before they embark on the perilous journey to the UK.

Migrants are reportedly paying smugglers around 2,000 euros for the journey, often without any guarantee of boarding a boat. Many face threats and abuses during the process, including instances of sexual violence.

Last month, volunteers rescued 19 individuals from a sinking boat during a nighttime operation in the Belgian coastal municipality of De Haan. Berger stated that only one person among the group had a life jacket, highlighting the dangers involved in these crossings.

As warmer weather approaches, it is expected that there will be an increase in attempts to smuggle migrants across the English Channel. The numbers from Belgium, however, remain insignificant compared to the traditional France-UK route, where approximately 41,500 individuals were detected crossing the Channel in small boats last year.

According to data from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, around 2,200 people crossed the Channel in the first two months of 2026. This statistic indicates a continued trend of migration attempts despite the risks involved.

Ukrinform previously reported that in 2025, over 3,000 migrants lost their lives attempting to reach the shores of Spain, which is three times fewer than the previous year. This alarming statistic underscores the ongoing crisis that continues to affect countless individuals seeking refuge and a better life.

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