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Story summary
- In 2026, smugglers reported 17 departures along Belgium's coast to Britain.
- Stricter controls in France have prompted smugglers to use 'taxi boats' along the coast.
- Migrants pay about €2,000 and face threats and abuse.
- In March 2026, volunteers rescued 19 people from a sinking dinghy in De Haan.
- Belgian Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt said, "Every boat that departs is one too many," noting 2025 France-Britain detections reached 41,500.
