A criminal court in Lille began hearing a landmark case on 1 December against 19 defendants accused of running an international “taxi-boat” network that ferried migrants from French beaches to UK waters. Prosecutors allege the gang organised at least 50 crossings in 2024-25, charging up to €3,000 per seat on rigid-hulled inflatables.
The trial is politically sensitive: it coincides with new Franco-British plans to intercept empty dinghies within 300 metres of the French coast and follows a record 40,000 irregular arrivals in the UK so far in 2025. NGOs fear the clamp-down will push migrants toward even riskier winter crossings.
![Lille court opens ‘taxi-boat’ smuggling trial amid Channel migration crackdown]()
For corporate mobility and relocation managers, tighter Channel surveillance could slow short-notice staff moves involving cross-border contractors who lack full work authorisation. Employers are advised to double-check posted-worker compliance and build longer lead times for French sea-port entry formalities.
The court is expected to sit for three weeks. If convicted, ringleaders face up to 10 years in prison and heavy asset seizures, signalling France’s determination to target the logistics backbone of irregular migration rather than small-scale passengers.
The trial is politically sensitive: it coincides with new Franco-British plans to intercept empty dinghies within 300 metres of the French coast and follows a record 40,000 irregular arrivals in the UK so far in 2025. NGOs fear the clamp-down will push migrants toward even riskier winter crossings.
For corporate mobility and relocation managers, tighter Channel surveillance could slow short-notice staff moves involving cross-border contractors who lack full work authorisation. Employers are advised to double-check posted-worker compliance and build longer lead times for French sea-port entry formalities.
The court is expected to sit for three weeks. If convicted, ringleaders face up to 10 years in prison and heavy asset seizures, signalling France’s determination to target the logistics backbone of irregular migration rather than small-scale passengers.
