According to the West Coast Police Zone, it is certain that human smugglers have started their operation at Surf Club Windekind in Koksijde. It was again about a rubber boat that is picking up more and more transmigrants. Nicholas Paelinck, chief of the West Coast police zone: “It is that system again with those taxi boats. They go into the sea where there is little control and leave with a few people and then sail down the coast towards Calais, to pick up extra people several times.”
Aerial photographs
Aerial photographs from a Frontex border control aircraft show that more than 20 passengers have already climbed aboard between Koksijde and De Panne. There are also barely three life jackets. “On the images you see around 11:30 PM that a boat is put into the sea from our coast at Windekind and that they then leave for French waters. The MIK and the MRCC were immediately warned to provide assistance at sea.”
Very dangerous
At that point, many partners are already involved. The local police, the maritime police, the rescue services and Frontex, which communicates through a headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. The boat simply continued sailing. When the Belgian services arrived on the scene, it was almost in French waters. Dries Derudder, Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center: “It goes without saying that these are very dangerous situations. These are very rickety boats that are not seaworthy. We go to the scene as quickly as possible and we guide and keep an eye on things.”
Fear of further increase
The rescue services emphasize that they are only responsible for safety. There is uncertainty about what exactly should be done police-wise. The French would prefer to intervene and take the refugees off board. There will be a meeting about this next week. In any case, on the West Coast, the police fear a further increase in the number of attempts.
