Transmigration via Belgium to the United Kingdom has decreased by 90% since 2018
During a press conference at the maritime police in Ostend, the Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said that the strong approach towards human smugglers has led to a 90% drop in transit migrants to the UK.
In 2018, the police found almost 13.000 transmigrants (12.848) on the Belgian territory, but that number fell by 90 percent in recent years, to 1.065 in 2022, according to figures from the beginning of this year of West-Flemish governor Carl Decaluwé.
According to Minister Van Quickenborne, this is due to numerous police actions, extensive international cooperation against human smuggling, the data-driven reading of confiscated smartphones by the TransIT team of the Federal Judicial Police (FGP) and severe penalties for people smugglers.
In West Flanders, the decline is in line with the national trend. In and around the port of Zeebrugge, the shipping police found 3.926 transmigrants in 2018, while they were 404 in 2022. In Ostend, 196 transmigrants were found in 2018 and 30 in 2022. In the police zone Westkust (De Panne, Koksijde, Nieuwpoort) the number also decreased sharply, from 156 in 2018 to 22 in 2022. In Blankenberge there were 210 interceptions in 2018 and 8 in 2022.
Extensive controls and screening of containers in the port prove to be worthwhile. Severe punishments, such as those resulting from the terrible Essex tragedy in 2019, where 39 people died, also have a deterrent effect on people smugglers. The top leader was sentenced to 15 years in prison, as stated by the federal public prosecutor's office.
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