The case came to light in 2022 following arrests in France and Belgium, after which further investigation was coordinated by Eurojust and Europol. During the raids, the German police deployed over six hundred officers. Among the seized items were 12 inflatable boats, 175 life jackets, 60 air pumps, 11 outboard motors, 10 engines, weapons, and several thousand euros in cash.
The suspects organized the purchase, storage, and transport of inflatable boats to smuggle migrants from beaches near the French port city of Calais to Great Britain.
The migrant smuggling network was highly professional. Drivers transported up to 8 boats at once. The smugglers used boats mostly originating from China that had been transported via Turkey to Germany. Under normal use, such boats would not be safe for more than 10 people.
On average, the smugglers packed about 50 migrants into each boat. Investigators have collected evidence for at least 55 such departures. Migrants had to pay between 1,000 and 3,000 euros per person for the journey.
Migrant smuggling via small boats has continuously increased since 2019 and has been the most used method since 2021, surpassing smuggling in trucks. According to Europol, criminal networks have become increasingly violent. At the same time, the number of immigrants found in France and Belgium attempting the illegal crossing has decreased in recent years.
In 2023, nearly 61,000 migrants were detected attempting to cross the English Channel, compared to about 79,000 in 2022. In the same year, 30,000 migrants (compared to more than 47,000 in 2022) and 600 boats (compared to 1,100 in 2022) succeeded in reaching the United Kingdom.
The British government believes that EU countries are doing too little to combat foreigners attempting the crossing from their shores by boat. The British navy intercepts boats with immigrants off the English coast almost daily and then brings them ashore. In most cases, they are not eligible for residence permits and must leave the country.