The full “package” is said to cost €15,000 (£12,500), which includes an inflatable dinghy, an outboard motor, and 60 life jackets for crossing the English Channel. This offer was made by two small-boat smugglers to an undercover BBC journalist in Essen, a city in western Germany known for its migrant population. A recent five-month BBC investigation has uncovered the significant German involvement in the dangerous human smuggling trade across the English Channel. The UK government has vowed to crack down on these criminal gangs, while Germany has emerged as a key hub for storing boats and engines used in Channel crossings. The investigation revealed that smugglers store boats in secret warehouses in Essen, while playing cat-and-mouse games with the German police. This year has seen the highest number of migrant deaths during Channel crossings, with over 28,000 people attempting the journey in overcrowded and unsafe boats.
