Migrants depart Belgian coast for UK amid efforts to curb Channel crossings

DE PANNE, BELGIUM - OCT. 29, 2026: A group of irregular migrants launched a small boat from the Belgian coastal municipality of De Panne toward Dover, England, on Thursday, Oct. 29, as local police observed the departure without intervening.

The departure comes as the UK and Belgium have reached a post-Brexit agreement aimed at curbing small-boat crossings of the English Channel by sharing intelligence on people-smuggling gangs.