About 30 people, most of whom are of Vietnamese nationality, were found in a small truck in Oostduinkerke. They are reportedly "transmigrants" who intended to make the crossing to the United Kingdom.
The West Coast police zone intercepted the vehicle around 04:30 in the early morning along the Koninklijke Baan in Oostduinkerke, a borough of Koksijde. A total of about 30 "transmigrants" – people passing through a country to get to another place in which they intend to settle – were found inside the truck.
Most of them were said to be people of Vietnamese origin. The West Coast police zone said they intended to cross to the United Kingdom.
Following the events, two suspects were arrested, but further investigation is needed to reveal whether they are involved in human smuggling. The West Flemish public prosecutor's office has started an investigation.
'Problems' expected
The Chief of Police Nicholas Paelinck said the police and customs expected to deal with people crossing from the Belgian coast to the UK in the coming weeks.
Besides the better weather, tighter controls in France would also play a role. In addition, refugee camps near Paris are being evacuated in the run-up to the Olympic Games that are taking place in the French capital this summer.
British plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda in the future may also play a role in spurring people to make the crossing as soon as possible. The UK Border Force, in anticipation of an "influx", wants to counter the problem by investing in so-called Small Boat Teams on the Belgian coast.
"That investment is about people in the field, computers, office space, everything needed to break that supply chain of people smugglers," Governor Carl Decaluwé said. However, the dossier still needs to be approved by the federal police.
