Remarkably few incidents of human smuggling had been established on the West Flemish coast in recent times. But now the police have intercepted fifteen more transmigrants. They were located about two kilometers off the coast of Oostduinkerke and were escorted towards France. “We warned about this,” says Governor Carl Decaluwé.
In April there was already a flare-up of boats trying to make the crossing. Decaluwé is once again calling for additional support: “There is an urgent need for innovative support, such as an aerial camera screen, to be able to intervene more quickly.”