Smuggling gangs use 'mega-dinghies' as small boat supply shrinks

People smuggling gangs are using larger "mega-dinghies" to transport more migrants per crossing, a BBC investigation has found, as a shortage of small boats forces once-rival criminal groups to collaborate. French police now intercept two-thirds of small boats before they reach the coast, reducing crossing opportunities and driving prices up to €2,000 per person, paid in cash. The gangs are also launching boats in daylight and using "taxi boats" departing from as far as Belgium to avoid detection. The investigation documented one boat collecting 82 people over three hours from a French beach, with all successfully reaching the UK. Migrants now face waits of weeks or months for crossings, and some are sleeping closer to beaches in woods and dunes to improve their chances of boarding.