Tony Eastaugh, the director for crime and enforcement at the Home Office, said the government has deployed three vessels in the English Channel, funded patrols on French beaches, and invested in detection equipment. “Compared to where we were even a few months ago, the cooperation we are seeing with French authorities is paying dividends,” Mr. Eastaugh said in a statement. He noted that 100 people smugglers had been convicted in 2019.
David Wood, a former director general of British immigration enforcement, said the criminal groups behind the smuggling had turned to alternative routes as the authorities cracked down on smuggling by truck and shipping container. In October, a container truck with the bodies of 39 migrants was discovered in southeast England. “It’s gotten far more difficult over the last couple of years to get into the backs of the lorries, which was the traditional way to get into the U.K.,” he said. “So diversification is happening.” Those attempting the crossing pay smugglers between £6,000 and £10,000, Mr. Wood said. He said stepped-up patrols had done little to disrupt the criminal groups. So these migrants ain’t penniless then, or are they stealing the money? Do we want either Migrants with money or Thieves into our country? We Are Full. Protect the NHS. Protect our Housing Stock. Protect our Benefits System.
Migrants from France Part 11
