A BBC cameraman was left needing stitches after he was stoned by people smugglers at a migrant camp.
A crew of journalists were investigating tactics adopted by the criminal gangs – who are rumoured to be preparing new ‘mega-dinghies’ earmarked for Britain’s shores.
But the reporters were confronted by a group of the ‘repeatedly frustrated’ crooks in Calais, angry at the sight of their camera.
Despite the crew agreeing to stop filming, one smuggler – standing at 5ft 8in and donning a new grey tracksuit – attempted to grab the equipment before reportedly throwing rocks ‘at a close range’.
The BBC’s cameraman, Pol, was struck above the eye and was later given ‘a few stitches’ – after the crew made a quick getaway as they were chased to their car.
It comes as illegal smuggling gangs are thought to be adopting new tactics as they are reportedly ‘running low on small boats’.
Criminal groups are now said to be working together by loading more migrants on fewer, larger vessels.
Last month a record 230 people crossed the Channel in one small boat – with the arrivals being more passengers than the typical capacity of a Boeing 737.
The BBC’s cameraman, Pol, was struck above the eye and was later given ‘a few stitches’ – after the crew made a quick getaway as they were chased to their car
It broke the previous record set in July when 165 people made the crossing on a single vessel.
The unprecedented crossing prompted accusations that politicians had ‘lost control’ of illegal migration, while French police once again came under fire for failing to intervene.
Gang members say more mega-dinghies are now in the works, a source told the BBC.
The groups are said to be quoting up to €2,000 (£1,700) per person – a rise from around €1,300 just a year ago, with passengers being told to pay in cash, to show they are committed.
Former chief inspector of borders and immigration David Neal said: ‘Organised crime gangs are very adept at getting around any measures put in place by law enforcement.
‘If police manage to close down one avenue through which smugglers were obtaining dinghies and maritime equipment, the gangs will immediately switch to look for other manufacturers, importation routes, and so on. Dealing with organised criminals is a constant game of cat-and-mouse.
‘The use of extra-large dinghies suggests that traffickers have changed their tactics in this way. It is likely they have secured a new manufacturer which is now making these larger boats to order.
‘It could even indicate that law enforcement’s success in seizing outboard motors is driving up the size of the boats – in other words, they have fewer motors and so are using them to power a smaller number of larger dinghies.’
The public was stunned by images of a huge inflatable packed with 230 migrants arriving in Britain
He added that these giant boats pose a grave risk to life, due to the risk of people drowning and being trampled and crushed.
‘The authorities may even be more reluctant to approach such vessels at sea because the wake created by patrol boats would risk destabilising these unseaworthy dinghies already so overloaded,’ he said.
Previous ministers have privately spoken of the guilt they felt in the wake of Channel deaths, questioning whether there was anything they could have done to prevent the loss of life.
Mr Neal said: ‘Traffickers care only about their profits and are indifferent to the safety of the migrants they smuggle. They will corral ever-higher numbers of migrants into these death-trap dinghies just to make money, with potentially disastrous consequences.
‘All in all, the very worthy aim of targeting organised crime gangs and their supply chains may have had the unintended side-effect of making Channel crossings even more dangerous.’
However, it remains to be seen whether mega-dinghies will prove as effective as the smaller boats, with Channel crossings hitting a six-year low this summer.
Nearly 7,000 people made the journey in small boats between June and August, its seasonal lowest since 2020. The number of small-boat migrants arriving in Britain fell to its lowest since 2019.
While critics have put the decrease down to bad weather, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood attributed the drop to increased international co-operation blocking people smugglers’ supply chain for boats, lifebelts and outboard motors.
