Belgium worries as migrant crossings to Britain rise / Photo: Sameer Al-DOUMY - AFP/File
Belgium worries as migrant crossings to Britain rise
Unearthing small boats from under the sand at dawn before launching them towards Britain packed with people, migrant smugglers are increasingly operating from Belgium -- to the concern of local authorities.
The country intercepted more than 400 people attempting to cross the Channel so far this year, up from none in the whole of 2025, according to government figures in what local officials say is a spillover from neighbouring France, following a crackdown there.
"France has become stricter" toward migrants, said Jean-Marie Dedecker, mayor of the seaside town of Middelkerke.
"And when France gets stricter, they come to Belgium."
For years, migrants hoping to reach Britain in search of a better life have gathered in camps along the coast around the French city of Calais, before attempting to cross over.
Belgium has not witnessed the same influx, mainly because its coastline is significantly further away from British shores, which heightens the risk for those making the journey in flimsy, overcrowded boats.
At its closest point, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) of water separates Belgium from England, compared to the about 30 kilometres that migrants have to cover when setting off from Calais.
- 'Follow the coastline' -
But things have started to change as France ramped up law enforcement, partially due to a new deal between Paris and London signed in April to stop undocumented migrants from crossing.
Dedecker said for several months now he has been watching smugglers implement a well-oiled operation from his town's beaches.
"They hide their belongings -- jackets, the boat, the motor -- in the dunes," he told AFP
Before sunrise, the vessels are inflated before migrants jump aboard and set off, he added.
Boats "follow the coastline to France," said Christiaan De Ridder, the local deputy police chief.
Boats are either "fully packed" with 15 to 20 people on board or sometimes go pick up more passengers in France before heading towards Britain, he added.
The trend has frustrated the Belgian government of Flemish nationalist Prime Minister Bart De Wever, which does not want to appear lax on the issue.
"It must be clear that the Flemish coast is not an attractive alternative for making the crossing to the United Kingdom," said Anneleen Van Bossuyt, Belgium's asylum and migration minister.
- 'People in danger' -
Her office said it is working tirelessly to put an end to it, notably by increasing detentions of migrants -- mostly young men from Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Police have also stepped-up patrols but are calling for more resources to monitor the coast.
The approach has outraged NGOs helping refugees, which say more should be done to support and protect people who arrive in the country already "extremely traumatised" by their journey to Europe.
"They are seen as a danger rather than as people in danger," Joost Depotter of the Flemish group Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen said of migrants.
Heavy-handed measures were not reducing flows but only pushing smugglers to take extra precautions, like hiding migrants away from the police but also possible help -- sometimes in vacant holiday homes, he said.
Yet, worried about possible impact on tourism, mayor Dedecker was unmoved, saying he hoped for a clampdown before summer.
"We're monitoring the dunes because we're afraid of seeing 'jungles' like in Calais, with thousands of people," he said, referring to a now-closed infamous camp on the outskirts of the French city.
Attempted crossings were down slightly in recent days due to poor weather but "when the weather is nice, they'll try again", he said. "Why wouldn't they?".
F.Tsakiris--AN-GR
