German police carried out extensive early-morning raids targeting an Iraqi-Kurdish criminal network accused of smuggling migrants from France to Britain using unsafe inflatable boats. The operation, involving over 500 officers, was conducted across multiple cities in western Germany, including Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Grevenbroich, and Bochum.
The coordinated raids were part of a larger operation with Europol and French security services. Authorities searched residential properties and storage facilities based on warrants issued by a French court in Lille. German officials stated that the network was smuggling migrants from the Middle East and East Africa to France and then across the English Channel to Britain.
Police have not confirmed any arrests yet, but Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the operation a major setback for international migrant smuggling. She condemned the smugglers for endangering lives, saying, “Gangs that use threats and violence to cram people into small boats and send them across the Channel are putting human lives at risk. We will keep taking strong action against this cruel trade in human suffering.”
The raids are part of a broader investigation into smuggling operations conducted by Belgian, French, and German authorities. Earlier this year, 19 individuals connected to a similar Iraqi-Kurdish smuggling ring were arrested. These suspects were involved in purchasing and transporting inflatable boats to ferry migrants from the beaches near Calais, France, to the UK.
Migrant smuggling by small boats has risen since 2019, overtaking lorries as the main method of illegal entry into the UK. Last year, around 30,000 migrants crossed the Channel in 600 boats, highlighting the extent of the problem.