More and more migrants are attempting to cross the Channel between the European mainland and the United Kingdom by dinghy and inflatable boats. Since November, it is at least 221 people.

Now that forty migrants have been found at sea in the last few days, the British Minister is ringing an alarm. According to him it is a matter of time before there are deaths in crossing attempts. The Canal is the busiest marine route in the world where hundreds of ships pass by each day.

The typical day at the Strait of Dover. Only AIS-enabled vessels are shown:

The minister wants to come to a solution quickly in consultation with his French colleague. He has also commissioned additional border surveillance and has it checked whether the migrants dare to cross the risky crossing because the coast guard is present with ships.

A social worker says to the BBC that the migrants opt for the boats because there is strict control on the train and boat connections to England.

The Brexit also plays a role; migrants are in a hurry to cross over because they expect the controls to become even more severe if the UK has left the European Union.