A BBC investigation found people smuggling gangs in the Channel are switching to larger inflatable "mega-dinghies" and cooperating after a drop in the supply of small boats. A 15-metre small boat carrying a record 230 migrants drew wide condemnation and highlighted the tactic of loading more people onto fewer, larger vessels. Reporters on France's northern shores say smugglers attacked their crew with stones and injured a cameraman while revealing gangs are preparing additional mega-dinghies, which emergency teams fear will increase risks to life. French officers say they now intercept two thirds of small boats before they reach the coast, and smugglers are charging up to €2,000 (£1,700) per person, up from about €1,300 a year ago, with passengers required to pay in cash. On 4 August, 170 people needed rescue after a boat caught fire in the Channel. The UK and France announced plans to increase police numbers on the French coast and this initiative comes as Andy Burnham prepares to host French President Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street for the first time since becoming prime minister. BBC coverage also described a refined, orderly boarding process on beaches and a tactic of launching boats from farther along the coastline, including departures from Belgium.
