A smuggler working on a beach near Boulogne-sur-Mer was observed by a Guardian journalist digging up a dinghy buried in a sand dune, assembling it and attaching a motor in what witnesses described as record time. The scene, on a calm day with no French police present, illustrates the ongoing challenge of preventing small boat crossings.
Amad, an asylum seeker from Iraq waiting with about 30 others to cross, said: "The UK government wants to stop the smugglers, but they are smart. They have plan A, plan B and plan C, so there is always a way for them to get people across this sea. For as long as asylum seekers will pay them, there is too much money involved for them to give up."
Another asylum seeker, Omar from Yemen, said the area known as the Jungle "is busier than ever. So many refugees and so many smugglers are here. Everyone wants to cross."
The UK's 'one in, one out' scheme, under which one small boat arrival was forcibly returned to France in exchange for another asylum seeker brought legally to the UK, is being scrapped. Some asylum seekers who were previously removed from the UK under the scheme have reportedly returned to France hoping to cross again.
The scrapping of the deal raises questions about the UK's strategy, with no replacement plan yet detailed by the government. Smugglers show no sign of ceasing operations as demand from asylum seekers remains high.