Cross-Channel dinghy smugglers in German city rake in £12k per boat

Migrants are paying up to £12,000 for small boats to cross the English Channel, with smugglers in Germany raking in millions by exploiting their desperation, this newspaper can reveal.

The revelation comes as the number of people making the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats continues to rise, with more than 28,000 having arrived in the UK so far this year.

Our investigation found that smugglers are operating with impunity in the German city of Duisburg, where they are selling the dinghies for up to £12,000 each.

The boats are typically packed with up to 50 people, meaning the smugglers are making a profit of up to £600,000 per boat.

Our reporters spoke to several migrants who had bought boats from smugglers in Duisburg. One man, from Afghanistan, said he had paid £10,000 for a dinghy that was so overcrowded that it nearly capsized.

"The smugglers don't care about our lives," he said. "They just want our money."

Another migrant, from Syria, said he had been forced to pay £12,000 for a boat that was in such poor condition that it leaked water.

"I thought I was going to die," he said. "The smugglers don't care about our lives."

The smugglers are believed to be part of a network that operates across Europe. They are thought to be using the proceeds of their criminal activity to fund other illegal activities, such as drug trafficking and people smuggling.

The investigation comes as the UK government is facing increasing pressure to do more to stop the flow of migrants across the Channel. The government has said it is committed to tackling the issue, but critics say it is not doing enough.