The crossing

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2019

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s over two years since the authorities in France closed down the Jungle, the large migrant camp in Calais on the French coast. At its height more than 9,000 people from around the world lived in the camp while attempting to make it across to the UK, often hiding in the back of lorries or packed into small boats. It was hoped the camp's closure would stem the number of people risking their lives to try to get to Britain. But has it worked? In December, Britain’s Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, declared the number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel in boats a 'major incident' and since then more than 100 people have been picked up in 2019. For Assignment, Paul Kenyon investigates the British gangs making big money and risking migrants' lives smuggling them across the Channel and reports on the attempts to break up their networks. Reporter: Paul Kenyon Producer: Ben Robinson (Image: An aerial photo shows a boat carrying stranded migrants. Credit: MARCOS MORENO/AFP/Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to assignment on the BBC World Service. I'm Paul Kenyon.
0:04.5	For the past decade I've been following migrants hoping to reach Europe
0:08.8	along some of the most dangerous routes on earth. Today I'm with teenagers far from home on the north coast of France
0:16.3	who want to continue their journey to the UK. Our government efforts to deter migrants actually
0:22.3	driving these children to take greater risks.
0:27.0	When we start everything is okay, weather is good and after a few hours start a storm.
0:37.0	The big wave come to the full the boat. My boat is the fell the fell the fell. My bought the fell. I and wife and two children go in the water.
0:49.0	You're all in the sea, you're all in the English Channel, you two young children and your wife did you have life
0:55.5	jackets no no no we we don't have a jacket jacket. desperate people attempting a desperate and dangerous journey by sea to the UK.
1:15.8	I'm Paul Kenyon.
1:19.9	Could you see the coast of England?
1:24.0	Yes, yes.
1:26.0	I know where is the England and there is a dollar, the engine is off.
1:31.0	Engine is turn off?
1:32.0	Why was the engine off?
1:34.0	Because this boat for five person.
1:37.0	We were nine person.
1:40.0	Since Christmas, at least 200 people have tried it.
1:44.0	Woman and her husband start crying and said, we will die.
1:51.0	And I said, please don't say this because now we are alive you have to have hope
2:01.6	and what what happened to your daughter why is she in hospital there he is my daughter and my son and my wife very very bad because maybe one liter, two liter, drink water.
2:15.0	No, no, no, what Khartoum?
	...

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