People smugglers recruit unemployed French people to help migrants board boats | Politics

People smuggling gangs are recruiting unemployed French people to drive migrants to beaches to board small boats bound for Britain.

Prosecutors and border guards in northern France have seen local residents being deployed for high-risk tasks such as managing dangerous border crossings.

They say that by offering cash they can easily recruit drivers from the thousands of unemployed men in Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk.

It came as the huge wave of migrants risking their lives to cross the Channel since Labor came to power continues. Three people died after their boat sank on Wednesday.

The new tactic was revealed in a court case in which an unemployed man in Calais was given a 12-month suspended sentence for transporting migrants to the coast.

This is an area where there is a shortage of people available for the smugglers to continue their activities.

Some migrants are now receiving free crossings in exchange for transporting people to boat launching locations.

With the French economy struggling – and budget cuts of €60 billion looming – unemployed men are turning to smuggling criminals for cash.

The discount they receive per crossing is estimated at around £500 each time for a few hours’ work.

That is much more than they receive in French benefits: an average of 55 euros per day.

Sources say the situation has “infuriated” law enforcement agencies, who fear it will lead to a winter spike in border crossings. An insider said: “There is an unemployment problem in France and the smugglers are aware of it.

“The economy is in big trouble. When that happens, it creates opportunities for crime and the black market to thrive.

“The unemployed are turning to the cash cow that sends migrants to Britain. They make thousands. The situation is terrible.”

The source said French police were aware of the situation but had not been able to make many breakthroughs so far.

They added: “The unemployed men see it as much more lucrative work than just getting their weekly benefit.

“The smugglers have them drive, pick up and drop off.

“This is where the risk lies. So it’s good for them to let others do their dirty work.”

Wednesday’s tragedy brings the total number of deaths in the Channel this year to 55. Forty-five people were rescued.

The latest official figures show that 15,071 migrants have arrived in Britain on 266 small boats since Labor won the general election on July 4, an increase of three on the same period last year.

But the total so far in 2024 is 28,654, an eight percent increase from last year.

The figure includes a record 973 migrants who crossed the border on October 5.