The recent rise in small boat activity in Belgium is due to increased pressure on smugglers in France, according to multiple reports. Since the original UK-France financial deal was struck in 2023 under the Conservative government, crossings have risen steadily, with 41,472 people arriving on small boats in 2025 alone. French police have stepped up their response, deploying tear gas, slashing boats on beaches, and using drones, light aircraft, and patrol vessels to intercept launches. This has prompted organised crime groups to adapt tactics by moving away from the heavily policed French coast near Calais and Dunkirk to launch from quieter beaches further north in Belgium.
Activity is concentrated along Belgium's western coastline, with beaches in De Panne, Koksijde, Nieuwpoort, and Ostend becoming launch points, Belgian police said in recent weeks. Towns as far afield as De Haan, near Bruges, have been identified as launch sites, according to reported analysis of vessel-tracking data. Last month, a group of 22 migrants was recorded departing from Oostduinkerke beach. Smugglers have launched migrant small boats from beaches in Belgium away from the traditional sites around Calais and Dunkirk, research indicates. According to a source, Jarne Pollie described the shift as unusual, noting that while De Panne was previously used, attempts are now seen from Koksijde and Nieuwpoort, which are further away.
Belgium has asked the UK to step up cooperation as people-smuggling gangs increasingly launch small boats from its western coastline. Officials from Belgium and the UK are looking to deepen cooperation through closer intelligence sharing, coordination between law enforcement, and additional monitoring of the Belgian coastline. A UK government minister held talks in Belgium on tackling people smuggling following recent attempts to launch small boats from Belgian beaches. The UK government has assisted Belgian authorities with technology such as drones to track smugglers and invested around £4 million over the past two years, leading to a control room in the Port of Zeebrugge. Additionally, the UK government has provided £1.3m to Belgian law enforcement to deter smuggling attempts.
I am concerned about the health risks for those attempting longer journeys from Belgium.
The number of attempted crossings from the Belgian coast has risen sharply in recent months, with smugglers and migrants intercepted almost daily by police. Belgian forces have increased patrols along the western coast and stepped up cooperation with Frontex, including deploying surveillance aircraft. Police are stepping up patrols following attempts by smugglers to target the Belgian coast, away from main launch sites in France. Westkust Police told the BBC there were no crossings in their zone last year and at least five this year, and said teams are now conducting targeted checks. On Wednesday night, 15 migrants were discovered near Nieuwpoort marina, police said. Physical barriers have also been installed to make it harder to access beaches with trailers and boats.
Britain is attempting to renegotiate its financial arrangement with France for policing the Channel coastline, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signing a two-month extension to a £475 million agreement and pushing for performance-related clauses. Since the original deal was struck in 2023 under the Conservative government, crossings have risen steadily, with 41,472 people arriving on small boats in 2025 alone.
People smugglers are currently attempting to push small boats off the beaches of northern France, with two attempts made and at least one boat slashed by French law enforcement. French police have stepped up their response, deploying tear gas, slashing boats on beaches, and using drones, light aircraft, and patrol vessels to intercept launches.
The majority of migrants wade out to the boats that take them, so they're soaking wet up to their chest before they even set off. The boats are overcrowded and they're crossing the busiest thoroughfare for shipping in the world, it's extremely dangerous in every respect.
Since early 2025, Belgian authorities have investigated the transit of small boats and related nautical equipment from neighbouring countries, primarily Germany, towards France. Analysts and investigators assumed from the outset that smugglers were part of larger criminal networks operating across Europe. On 25 March 2026, authorities in Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, with support from Europol and Eurojust, conducted fourteen searches, including two in Belgium. Four high-value targets were arrested in Germany under the instruction of a Belgian investigating judge, while 17 individuals involved in logistical roles were also detained. Seized items included eleven boats, engines, life jackets, weapons, cash, and electronic devices. Twelve officers from the Belgian Federal Judicial Police in West Flanders assisted German authorities on site. The arrested suspects in Germany are expected to be extradited to Belgium to face prosecution in Bruges. The operation illustrates the ongoing cooperation between Belgian judicial and law enforcement services and their counterparts in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in addressing cross-border smuggling activities.
The investigations highlighted the risks for migrants, who rely on low-quality inflatable boats and improvised equipment, paying thousands of euros for dangerous crossings of the English Channel. Smugglers are using 'taxi boats' that move along the shoreline picking up migrants before heading into the English Channel. Boat launches from Belgium had previously been limited because the Channel crossing is longer. The small number of recent launches off Belgium involved 'taxi-boats' that pick up migrants in the sea before heading along the coast to France. According to a source, Andy Roberts described the dangers, noting that migrants often wade out to boats, getting soaking wet before setting off in overcrowded vessels across the world's busiest shipping thoroughfare.
It is not the first time migrants have looked for new routes for boat launches. Last year smugglers began making attempts much further south of Calais and Dunkirk in the Dieppe area -112 miles (180km) away.
Conflicting figures exist for migrant arrivals in the UK this year. Around 4,766 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, a 28% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. However, at least 250 small boat migrants launched from Belgian beaches on Saturday, as almost 600 illegal immigrants from Belgium and France crossed into UK waters, bringing the total arrivals this year to more than 6,000.
Frontex confirmed the shift towards Belgium had been observed since late February. Organised crime groups are adapting tactics by moving away from the heavily policed French coast near Calais and Dunkirk to launch from quieter beaches further north in Belgium. The recent rise in small boat activity in Belgium is due to increased pressure on smugglers in France.