Migrant crisis: Migrants are now smuggled to Britain on small boats as far away as the Netherlands

Migrants are now smuggled to Britain on small boats as far away as the Netherlands Former Migration Minister Mike Tapp warned criminal gangs will 'adapt' to Labour's crackdown Sign up to the News Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules.

Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us Authorities intercepted what they believe is the first small-boat smuggling attempt to launch from the Netherlands. A rubber dinghy packed with 38 migrants was discovered drifting without an engine off the southern Dutch coast last Saturday.

Emergency crews towed it to the nearby port of Cadzand, in the Zeeland province, and two Sudanese men were arrested on suspicion of being involved in human smuggling, Dutch prosecutors said. A magistrate ordered their detention for 14 days on Tuesday, and both suspects are being held in restricted conditions, meaning they can only communicate with their lawyers, they added. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal and a former Intelligence Corps soldier who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said the incident demonstrated how trafficking networks are evolving their methods in response to tighter enforcement.

Mr Tapp, who recently served as Migration Minister, told the BBC: "As launch disruptions grow, the criminal gangs will adapt and a part of that will be finding new launch locations and methods. "That means our operational efforts must also be agile." He acknowledged progress but stressed the challenge remained significant, adding: "We have seen a significant reduction in crossings this year, but we still have a long way to go." Migrants are now launching from the Netherlands | PA Beaches around Calais and Dunkirk in northern France have traditionally been the main departure points for small-boat crossings since they surged in 2018.

Belgian police have attributed the northward shift in launch sites to intensified French enforcement activity. Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink, who also holds the asylum and migration portfolio, called the incident "highly disturbing" and said authorities would review what lessons it could offer. He told Dutch media: "This problem was situated around Calais for a long time and moved up north in the direction of Belgium. But now for the first time in the Netherlands we see this occurring."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Britain braced for migrant crossing surge with hundreds already in the Channel as conditions ease French presidential candidate blames Britain for small boats crisis in Channel Migrant crisis: Andy Burnham's small boats total hits 10,000 as crossings surge over weekend Former Migration Minister Mike Tapp warned smuggling gangs would change their tactics | GB NEWS Bastiaan van Blokland of the Netherlands Red Cross, who assisted emergency services at the scene, described the situation as "unusual" and deeply alarming.

He said: "The situation definitely was dire, 38 people on a boat with legs dangling out of the boat, in the cold weather, without an engine...It didn't look safe at all." He added that Dutch Red Cross workers were unfamiliar with such incidents and would remain vigilant going forward. The discovery caps a steady geographical expansion of smuggling routes across the Channel. Channel crossings have fallen sharply this year | PA Tony Smith, a former director general of the UK Border Force, said it was "clear that the human smugglers operating in Europe continue to try new routes to bring illegal entrants to the UK".

He said: "In recent months we have seen launches from the Normandy beaches, Belgium and now as far afield as the Netherlands rather than across the short straits to Dover under the original model. "It is important that the Border Security Command adapt its operations to cope with this ever-expanding challenge." Channel crossings have nonetheless fallen sharply this year. Between January and the end of October, 21,869 people arrived by small boat, a roughly 40 per cent drop compared with the same period in 2025.

The Home Office said more than 50,000 crossing attempts had been stopped | GETTY A Home Office spokesman said joint operations with international partners had stopped more than 50,000 crossing attempts and led to the seizure of 1,100 boats and engines since the general election. "But we must go further," the spokesperson added. "That's why we are boosting the number of officers on the ground in France and removing the pull factors drawing people here through illegal and dangerous routes."

Close to 1,050 French officers are now deployed to support joint UK-France efforts to prevent crossings, with an additional surge team reinforcing operations along western beaches. In October, the Home Secretary signed an agreement with her Belgian counterpart Bernard Quintin to speed up intelligence sharing between the two countries' police forces, aimed at dismantling the organised criminal networks behind migrant smuggling. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter News Church of England warns conversion therapy ban must not 'unintentionally criminalise' prayer News Man jailed after 'shock confession' to murdering mother of seven 28 years ago News Critical incident declared after car 'damaged by gunfire' in Swansea as residents told to avoid area News Schoolchildren taught vital lessons of Remembrance at moving Lincolnshire ceremony News Britain braced for migrant crossing surge with hundreds already in the Channel as conditions ease News Six people arrested after several police officers injured by fireworks thrown at a building engulfed in 'misinformation' campaign News Disgraced childminder who wilfully neglected children in her care jailed for two years News Armed police rush to school as boy injured and man seen holding long blade News London set for tube strike chaos as RMT announces new wave of 24-hour walkouts News Kemi Badenoch accuses police officers of 'cover up' over Henry Nowak murder News Britain's hospitality industry could be missing out on £500MILLION over unclean toilets, report reveals News Police vehicle set alight and ambulance workers targeted with fireworks in Bonfire Night chaos News Honour-based abuse cases soar to record high in England and Wales as victims face forced marriage and genital mutilation News Afghan migrants allegedly raped autistic girl, 14, in toilets on busy commuter train News Henry Nowak's killer has life sentence INCREASED after failed bid to cut it News Henry Nowak’s parents slam killer’s appeal against sentence and call his mother’s early release ‘an absolute disgrace’ News Bosses could be sent to JAIL if their staff use wrong pronouns under new trans law News French presidential candidate blames Britain for small boats crisis in Channel News Officers recover £80MILLION cocaine stash after lorry driver makes tip off at burger van News Ministry of Defence 'failed' British soldier killed during training exercise on Salisbury Plain News Labour apologises to young Ukrainian refugees after 'pushing' them to learn Russian News Apprentices dropping out of courses due to 'box-ticking' and 'weak' management, report warns News Pregnant Briton dies in Nigeria as devastated family set up fundraising page to bring body home News Halfords fined £600,000 after tyre fitter killed during roadside repair News World's 'greatest' military air show leaves RAF base at centre of terror probe News NHS nurse at heart of trans changing room row appeals court ruling on gender discrimination case News Birmingham councillors chant 'Free Palestine' after vote to ban Israel-linked investments Exclusive News How an 80s fashion revival created a 20-year British business success story News Appeal launched over controversial 125ft gas drilling rig near Scarborough News Ketchup sachets SAFE from EU diktats but Labour says any ban ‘would be our choice’