52,000 Migrants Tried to Reach the UK by Boat from Belgium and France in 2021

Last year, around 52,000 people tried to cross the Belgian and French coasts to the United Kingdom (UK) in small boats. The governor of West Flanders announced this on Tuesday, following a meeting with the UK Border Force (UKBF) regarding the financing of the security plan on transmigration.

Together with Europe, the UKBF has already provided more than 13 million euros in support to tackle the transmigration problem in our country.

Broadly speaking, the number of checked transmigrants in the province of West Flanders has fallen in recent years. In reality, according to the governor and the services involved, the problem is increasing.

In order to tackle this problem, in recent years, there has been close collaboration with the Préfet des Hauts-de-France and the UK – Home Office / Border Force. As a result, numerous initiatives have already been launched in this context.

For example, a project was started in 2018 to provide security barriers around the port of Zeebrugge. And since 2019, in the context of Brexit, there has been cooperation with the UKBF to prevent illegal crossings by lorries towards the UK. A control room is also being built in Zeebrugge’s port to guarantee safety further.

In the West Coast region, near Calais, investments are also being made in tackling transmigration. In addition, the “Supply Chain” plan was also drawn up by the police services. The intention is, among other things, to intercept the transport of life jackets, boats and other necessities.