Private yachts an ‘easy, low-risk' route for bringing illegal migrants into UK
Private yachts are an 'easy, low-risk' route for bringing illegal migrants into the UK, a former British soldier turned people smuggler has claimed.
The former soldier interviewed by the BBC said he had transported dozens of Vietnamese migrants by yacht into private marinas in south coast seaside towns until he was caught and convicted in 2019.
He claimed the routes were still being used by smugglers because of the low risk of being caught at marinas that could be protected with no more security than a caravan site.
His comments come after Border Force last month intercepted a yacht off the coast of Cornwall which was carrying 20 Albanians, comprising 19 men and one woman.
The ex-soldier, who the BBC named as 'Nick', said he had chosen to speak out now because he was 'angry' he had been jailed for a crime that was still very possible to commit.
He claimed to know people who, in the past year, had used the same routes and methods as him. The smuggling routes – whether by yacht or ferry – were 'easy' and 'low-risk', he said.
Border Force is responsible for securing the 11,000 miles of UK coastline, but the security of harbours and marinas rests with private operators, Charlie Eastaugh, the force's director of maritime, told the BBC.
'We patrol 24/7, we carry out proactive, as well as reactive, operations,' he said – citing the luxury yacht, hiding the 20 Albanians below deck, which was intercepted en route to Newquay in Cornwall last month.
Two harbourmasters, speaking anonymously to the BBC, agreed that private marinas were an easy target for people smugglers because they were not manned 24/7.
One based in Essex likened security to a caravan site and said that someone could hide people in a boat 'easily'. 'In a busy marina in peak season, with a lot of people coming in and out, it would be very easy to do this,' they said.
In Kent, Thanet District Council – which is responsible for Ramsgate Marina – said it was Border Force, and not individual harbours, that was 'the frontline response for immigration and illegal activities'.
'Staff at the port and harbour are vigilant and report any concerns or suspicions directly to Border Force for them to follow up,' said a spokesman.
Some 13,574 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year on small boats, up 37 per cent on the 9,874 arrivals at the same point last year.
Former Border Force director general Tony Smith, said the 'vast majority' of the agency's resources were currently deployed to the Small Boats Operational Command – focusing on specific routes used by large numbers of people crowded into small craft.
'My preference certainly would be to be able to deploy more widely and to look more across the whole of the UK coastline to identify threats,' he said.
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