This morning, 28 transmigrants were discovered in the sand dunes near the Zwin Nature Park in Knokke-Heist (West Flanders). They were equipped with a folded-up small boat, an outboard motor and several life jackets. Police have launched an investigation. ‘It is the first time that transmigrants have been found so close to the Dutch border,’ says Chief Constable Steve Desmet.
‘This morning, around 7 am, a local resident spotted a group of people doing things with a small boat in the dunes near the Zwin Nature Park,’ explains Steve Desmet, the local police chief. ‘He then called the police.’
‘There were 28 people in total. They were equipped with a boat, life jackets and an outboard motor. They were presumably making preparations to head out onto the North Sea.’
This is the first time a group of transmigrants, eager to make their way to the UK by small boat, has been stopped so close to the Dutch border. ‘As a police zone, we have never had to intervene before, but in itself this is nothing new. On the Belgian-French border, it’s all hands on deck to prevent transmigrants from taking boats out to sea there, so it makes sense that they are now moving more towards the east coast.’
Residents are our eyes and ears
The police emphasise the importance of reports from members of the public. ‘They are our eyes and ears and help make a difference. If you see any suspicious or criminal activity, please call 101 immediately. This allows our services to respond quickly. This morning is a good example of that.’
‘Ultimately, the migrants are simply victims who have fallen into a web of human trafficking. We must protect them from the dangers of the North Sea.’
Extra patrols at night
Following the incident, it has been decided to step up surveillance. ‘We were already active in tackling this issue, but we will be stepping up our efforts in the coming days. Until now, surveillance has been carried out solely via our camera network, but now we will also be physically patrolling the beach.’
‘Transmigrants usually head out to sea early in the morning. This means they arrive in the dunes at night, make the necessary preparations and lie low for a while. It is important that we find them before they head out to sea.’