People smugglers launch yet more small boats just one day after Starmer announced arrest of major supplier

Just a day after the Prime Minister announced the “significant arrest” of a suspected migrant boat supplier, people smugglers have launched more small boats from French beaches.

GB News can reveal that multiple launches were attempted on a stretch of beach south of the French port of Boulogne this morning.

A number of the launches were intercepted by French police, and a suspected boat smuggler was arrested.

But at least two small boats made it to UK waters and those on board are being taken by a Border Force vessel to the migrant processing facility at Dover harbour.

The latest arrivals come as official sources confirm Border Force intercepted the largest number of people on a single boat since the migrant crisis began six years ago.

A total of 98 migrants were crammed onboard the vessel as it made it to UK waters at the weekend.

Small migrant boats often launch from French beaches with up to 100 people onboard, sometimes more.

But the vast majority get into difficulties off the French coast and are too overcrowded and weighed down to make any progress.

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The phenomenon of dangerously over-packed boats has intensified over the past six months because of a new tactic by mainly African migrants, who rush boats in the process of launching, and fight their way onboard without paying smugglers for the journey.

French and British authorities believe the new tactic has played a significant role in the sharp rise in the number of migrants who have died in the Channel this year, with many of the deaths the result of crushing onboard the small boats.

French escort vessels are regularly called to intervene when dangerously overcrowded boats get into difficulties.

Although dozens from each boat are usually rescued, many others onboard the vessel often refuse to be rescued and carry on their illegal journeys to the UK.

The arrival of 98 migrants in UK waters at the weekend is the first time such a high number have made it across the Channel without French authorities coming to their aid.

One maritime security source has told GB News that the Channel crossings are now far more dangerous than they have ever been.

“It’s not that the people smugglers are necessarily becoming more reckless” he said.

“It’s not that they care about the wellbeing of their customers. But regular deaths are, let’s be honest, bad for business.

“But it’s this new tactic by mainly African migrants, who don’t have the money to pay the people smugglers, that has really added to the dangers.

“A people smuggler might only be planning to launch a boat with around 50 passengers, but often double that number end up clambering onboard as, time after time, dozens of other non-paying migrants storm the boats as they’re launching.

“The tactic is not only making the crossings far more dangerous, it’s leading to increasing levels of violence on French beaches, as groups of rival migrants fight their way onboard boats.”

On Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer made an unscheduled television address to announce what he claimed was a significant breakthrough by law enforcement in their efforts to ‘smash the gangs’.

A 44-year-old Turkish national was arrested by Dutch authorities as he landed in Amsterdam.

The operation to detain the smuggling suspect was jointly run by the UK’s National Crime Agency and Belgian and Dutch police.

The suspect will be extradited to Belgium to stand trial on charges he supplied boats, engines and other equipment to smuggling gangs in France and Belgium.

Since Labour took power in July, promising to go after the people smuggling gangs, there has been no slow-down in the numbers crossing the Channel.

A total of 33,000 have now crossed since the beginning of the year. That figure is 20 per cent higher than the 27,314 who crossed at the same point last year.