90% fewer transmigrants trying to reach the United Kingdom via the Belgian coast

In 2022, it is estimated that almost 80,000 people from the European mainland tried to make the crossing to the United Kingdom. Also in Belgium there is still human smuggling and transmigration. In 2018, the police found 13,000 transmigrants in our country. Last year there were 1,300. Especially in West Flanders, where most reports take place, there is a large decrease. The problem has therefore largely been driven out of our country, but that does not mean that the problem has been solved.

Reading phones

Vigilance therefore remains important to keep the focus on transmigration and people smuggling. That is why, at the initiative of the Minister of Justice, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of West Flanders, there is extensive operation of the TransIT team, which was set up in 2021 by the Federal Judicial Police West Flanders.

Each investigation also looks for the criminal gangs behind the human smuggling. For example, the TransIT team reads out the smartphones of transmigrants and possible people smugglers. This releases a lot of evidence about identities and supply routes, among other things.

Last year, more than 600 mobile phones were read by the Federal Judicial Police or by the Maritime Police in West Flanders, both of people smugglers and transmigrants.

(continue reading below the photo)

Severe punishments

The sharp drop in transmigrants is partly due to a strict prosecution policy for human smuggling by the Public Prosecution Service. Efforts are therefore being made to track down and punish human smugglers.

Since the beginning of 2019, there have been 116 cases of people smuggling, 51 of which have involved small boats. In these cases, rescue efforts at sea were often involved. A few files also concerned the transport of boats and life jackets for departure from our country.

In addition to strict policies, there are also strict penalties. Convicted people smugglers risk prison sentences of up to 12 years and fines of up to 968,000 euros.