1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,235 Record numbers are risking their lives in the Channel 2 00:00:08,235 --> 00:00:10,235 to get to Britain. 3 00:00:10,235 --> 00:00:12,955 It's kind of a desperate journey. 4 00:00:12,955 --> 00:00:16,555 They dream of a new life, better life. 5 00:00:16,555 --> 00:00:20,595 I've been on the south coast as asylum seekers arrived... 6 00:00:20,595 --> 00:00:24,235 I've counted more than 100 people coming off the boat 7 00:00:24,235 --> 00:00:26,635 and still they are arriving. 8 00:00:26,635 --> 00:00:29,355 ..to the migrant camps of northern France... 9 00:00:30,755 --> 00:00:33,795 You get to the UK and you use this leaflet. 10 00:00:33,795 --> 00:00:37,075 These phone numbers will help you. 11 00:00:37,075 --> 00:00:38,755 ..and to Turkey 12 00:00:38,755 --> 00:00:43,595 to investigate the criminals smuggling people to our shores. 13 00:00:43,595 --> 00:00:45,915 TRANSLATION: Each person pays the same. 14 00:00:45,915 --> 00:00:49,195 A trip to Britain will cost $17,000 in total. 15 00:00:50,475 --> 00:00:54,915 The government wants to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. 16 00:00:54,915 --> 00:00:58,835 It's young men, new mobile phones, and money in their pocket, 17 00:00:58,835 --> 00:01:02,875 and people struggle to see that these are genuine refugees. 18 00:01:04,315 --> 00:01:07,915 But will its plan to stop the people smugglers work? 19 00:01:26,435 --> 00:01:29,875 I'm on board the Portia with fisherman Matt Coker. 20 00:01:31,355 --> 00:01:34,115 He's seen how the English Channel has changed. 21 00:01:35,955 --> 00:01:39,555 Each year, his radar picks up more and more boats. 22 00:01:40,835 --> 00:01:42,235 This is the shipping lane here. 23 00:01:42,235 --> 00:01:43,875 That's another large... 24 00:01:43,875 --> 00:01:46,715 That's a Border Force boat? That's another Border Force boat. 25 00:01:46,715 --> 00:01:48,195 He's heading out there fast, 26 00:01:48,195 --> 00:01:51,275 so there's obviously another migrant boat been spotted out here. 27 00:01:52,795 --> 00:01:55,195 It's been a long, hot summer, 28 00:01:55,195 --> 00:01:58,715 perfect conditions for migrants to cross the Channel... 29 00:02:01,195 --> 00:02:04,315 ..and for the people smugglers charging thousands 30 00:02:04,315 --> 00:02:05,795 to bring them to the UK. 31 00:02:07,235 --> 00:02:09,555 There'll be 40 or 50 on each boat. 32 00:02:09,555 --> 00:02:12,315 They're all in the same boats now, they're all these big, long, 33 00:02:12,315 --> 00:02:15,355 black dinghies, which are about sort of seven or eight metres long, 34 00:02:15,355 --> 00:02:17,675 so they normally have about 40 or 50 on board, so... 35 00:02:17,675 --> 00:02:19,875 So it's a couple of hundred already today. Oh, easily. 36 00:02:19,875 --> 00:02:21,475 Easily a couple of hundred already. 37 00:02:21,475 --> 00:02:23,355 And as I say, you've got one, two, another... 38 00:02:23,355 --> 00:02:25,875 ..at least three out here, so there's another 150. 39 00:02:25,875 --> 00:02:28,195 You know, you're probably up to... 40 00:02:28,195 --> 00:02:33,275 You're probably going to be up to 600 or 700 by before midday today. 41 00:02:35,515 --> 00:02:39,555 Almost 90% of those arriving this year are men. 42 00:02:41,115 --> 00:02:44,635 More than 20,000 people have risked their lives 43 00:02:44,635 --> 00:02:48,915 crossing the Channel to get to Britain in the past six months, 44 00:02:48,915 --> 00:02:52,275 and nothing the government does seems to put them off. 45 00:02:56,795 --> 00:02:59,675 Crossing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes 46 00:02:59,675 --> 00:03:02,075 in a dinghy can be terrifying. 47 00:03:05,675 --> 00:03:08,395 The near misses happen almost every day. 48 00:03:16,315 --> 00:03:19,955 The overcrowded boats quickly take on water. 49 00:03:19,955 --> 00:03:23,235 They're often just drifting without a proper motor. 50 00:03:30,715 --> 00:03:35,355 Last November, 27 people and an unborn baby drowned 51 00:03:35,355 --> 00:03:36,835 when their dinghy sank. 52 00:03:48,035 --> 00:03:50,555 Mustapha was rescued in the Channel 53 00:03:50,555 --> 00:03:53,275 when his boat almost went under in March. 54 00:03:54,355 --> 00:03:58,075 He's now in Britain, but doesn't want us to show his face. 55 00:04:00,995 --> 00:04:03,635 TRANSLATION: Everyone was saying that the boat had a problem, 56 00:04:03,635 --> 00:04:07,195 but the smuggler insisted we get in. 57 00:04:07,195 --> 00:04:09,515 He threatened us. 58 00:04:09,515 --> 00:04:11,955 "If you don't make the crossing, no-one survives, 59 00:04:11,955 --> 00:04:14,595 "and your family will have problems." 60 00:04:14,595 --> 00:04:16,595 So we got on. 61 00:04:18,475 --> 00:04:20,475 We were really drowning. 62 00:04:20,475 --> 00:04:23,155 I will never forget that day. 63 00:04:26,395 --> 00:04:29,435 The people smugglers don't care less about their cargo. 64 00:04:29,435 --> 00:04:31,915 The people they're transporting are pure meat 65 00:04:31,915 --> 00:04:34,075 with money in their pocket. 66 00:04:34,075 --> 00:04:35,715 But beyond that, I mean, 67 00:04:35,715 --> 00:04:38,595 we have to look a bit more carefully at who is coming over. 68 00:04:38,595 --> 00:04:41,835 I don't think our immigration and asylum system was meant to be 69 00:04:41,835 --> 00:04:44,435 rewarding those that had money in their pocket, 70 00:04:44,435 --> 00:04:47,915 at the expense of those who have a real and genuine need 71 00:04:47,915 --> 00:04:50,755 to come and seek sanctuary somewhere. 72 00:04:58,435 --> 00:05:02,395 Many of the big smuggling gangs are based here in Turkey. 73 00:05:04,195 --> 00:05:08,635 Thousands of people arrange their journeys to the UK from Istanbul. 74 00:05:10,195 --> 00:05:13,715 It's the centre of a global refugee crisis. 75 00:05:15,635 --> 00:05:19,835 No-one really knows how many refugees there are in Turkey. 76 00:05:19,835 --> 00:05:22,835 Official figures put it at around five million, 77 00:05:22,835 --> 00:05:26,555 but unofficially, it could be as high as ten million. 78 00:05:26,555 --> 00:05:31,115 And that makes Turkey the country with the most refugees in the world. 79 00:05:36,275 --> 00:05:39,675 Istanbul is a gathering point for refugees 80 00:05:39,675 --> 00:05:44,595 and economic migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, 81 00:05:44,595 --> 00:05:49,275 and the black market trade in people smuggling is booming. 82 00:05:49,275 --> 00:05:51,915 Istanbul is a kind of a connection point. 83 00:05:51,915 --> 00:05:53,395 It's kind of a bridge. 84 00:05:53,395 --> 00:05:55,275 And it's also an important place 85 00:05:55,275 --> 00:05:58,395 for the migrants to get in touch with smugglers, 86 00:05:58,395 --> 00:06:02,875 and as the security increases from the Western parts, 87 00:06:02,875 --> 00:06:05,315 the journey becomes more... 88 00:06:05,315 --> 00:06:08,155 ..dramatically dangerous for many of them. 89 00:06:15,675 --> 00:06:19,475 Rahmet fled his home in Afghanistan two years ago. 90 00:06:19,475 --> 00:06:22,435 He now lives and works in this bakery. 91 00:06:25,635 --> 00:06:29,315 TRANSLATION: We didn't come here for no reason. 92 00:06:29,315 --> 00:06:32,715 We came to Turkey to earn a living, 93 00:06:32,715 --> 00:06:36,795 to support our families left behind in hunger. 94 00:06:40,235 --> 00:06:43,075 Rahmet doesn't have permission to stay. 95 00:06:43,075 --> 00:06:47,555 He never leaves the bakery because he's afraid of being sent home. 96 00:06:50,035 --> 00:06:53,875 They don't want us refugees here. 97 00:06:53,875 --> 00:06:55,475 They take us off the streets 98 00:06:55,475 --> 00:06:58,515 and send us back to where we have so many problems. 99 00:06:58,515 --> 00:07:00,395 Even war. 100 00:07:00,395 --> 00:07:02,395 That's why we're here. 101 00:07:05,355 --> 00:07:07,475 For many, they have to send money back 102 00:07:07,475 --> 00:07:09,755 to their families in their homeland, 103 00:07:09,755 --> 00:07:11,755 in their countries of origin. 104 00:07:11,755 --> 00:07:14,675 This is how the families are actually surviving 105 00:07:14,675 --> 00:07:16,995 on a global level. 106 00:07:16,995 --> 00:07:19,875 It is kind of a desperate journey. 107 00:07:19,875 --> 00:07:24,355 They dream of a new life, better life, somewhere else. 108 00:07:34,235 --> 00:07:38,355 It's this desperation that's exploited by the people smugglers. 109 00:07:40,555 --> 00:07:46,355 I'm heading to a safe house to meet a kingpin in the smuggling trade. 110 00:07:46,355 --> 00:07:48,515 It's taken months to arrange, 111 00:07:48,515 --> 00:07:50,875 working through a trusted intermediary. 112 00:07:51,955 --> 00:07:53,955 The smuggler has agreed to talk 113 00:07:53,955 --> 00:07:56,675 on condition that we don't identify him. 114 00:08:00,275 --> 00:08:02,915 He's sent hundreds of people to the UK. 115 00:08:05,395 --> 00:08:08,875 The British government says that what you're doing is illegal. 116 00:08:08,875 --> 00:08:11,075 TRANSLATION: I know it's illegal, 117 00:08:11,075 --> 00:08:13,435 but I choose to help these people. 118 00:08:15,235 --> 00:08:17,995 We treat them well. We respect women. 119 00:08:17,995 --> 00:08:19,755 We don't disrespect anyone. 120 00:08:24,835 --> 00:08:29,555 But there have been allegations that a migrant died on one of his boats. 121 00:08:29,555 --> 00:08:31,155 He denies it. 122 00:08:34,195 --> 00:08:37,635 He says he gets customers to sign this disclaimer, 123 00:08:37,635 --> 00:08:43,555 acknowledging the risks of death, capture and being lost at sea. 124 00:08:43,555 --> 00:08:47,395 It says, "Sign if you accept these terms." 125 00:08:49,235 --> 00:08:52,115 It doesn't matter if it's a whole family or an individual. 126 00:08:52,115 --> 00:08:53,915 Each person pays the same. 127 00:08:53,915 --> 00:08:58,115 A trip to Britain will cost $17,000 in total. 128 00:08:58,115 --> 00:09:01,835 Smuggling is dangerous. People's lives are put at risk. 129 00:09:01,835 --> 00:09:05,115 You're making money from putting people's lives at risk. 130 00:09:06,635 --> 00:09:08,355 Accidents can happen. 131 00:09:09,755 --> 00:09:12,155 But we explain how dangerous the journey is 132 00:09:12,155 --> 00:09:14,995 and we have them sign a consent form. 133 00:09:14,995 --> 00:09:18,075 You could die, I tell him, 134 00:09:18,075 --> 00:09:20,955 and warn his mum and dad, too. 135 00:09:25,835 --> 00:09:28,555 These are some of the passports the smuggler says 136 00:09:28,555 --> 00:09:31,075 he has taken from migrants. 137 00:09:31,075 --> 00:09:35,155 It's so officials can't check their details when they arrive in Britain. 138 00:09:37,635 --> 00:09:40,555 Why do people want to come to the UK? 139 00:09:40,555 --> 00:09:43,355 There are more job opportunities in Britain, 140 00:09:43,355 --> 00:09:45,515 and they have respect for human rights. 141 00:09:53,955 --> 00:09:56,915 People smuggling is a competitive business, 142 00:09:56,915 --> 00:10:00,115 with services openly advertised online. 143 00:10:01,555 --> 00:10:05,395 This one's a post offering to take people to the UK, 144 00:10:05,395 --> 00:10:08,035 but no children under eight years old. 145 00:10:08,035 --> 00:10:11,315 They say they can provide a 70-metre boat 146 00:10:11,315 --> 00:10:13,915 which can take up to 60 people. 147 00:10:13,915 --> 00:10:17,275 The cost? $11,500. 148 00:10:21,475 --> 00:10:26,715 There are also fake British driving licences and passports for sale, 149 00:10:26,715 --> 00:10:30,395 and sample questions to prepare migrants for a grilling 150 00:10:30,395 --> 00:10:32,235 by Home Office officials. 151 00:10:36,675 --> 00:10:39,075 For many smugglers, it's a business now, 152 00:10:39,075 --> 00:10:43,195 and thanks to the social media, like Facebook, Instagram, etc, 153 00:10:43,195 --> 00:10:45,875 they are making their advertisements very easily. 154 00:10:45,875 --> 00:10:50,915 The problem is to...to find somebody that you can trust. 155 00:10:50,915 --> 00:10:53,555 You know, like, trust here is the key word, I believe, 156 00:10:53,555 --> 00:10:56,795 and this is why some of the smugglers who've got 157 00:10:56,795 --> 00:11:01,555 certain experience and who've got certain reputation in the field 158 00:11:01,555 --> 00:11:04,315 makes it easier to find new clients. 159 00:11:09,395 --> 00:11:12,835 The people smugglers rely on a network of safe houses 160 00:11:12,835 --> 00:11:15,075 and apartments here in Istanbul. 161 00:11:15,075 --> 00:11:18,035 There's one that we know of just round the corner here. 162 00:11:27,915 --> 00:11:32,995 These pictures were filmed inside one of the smuggler's safe houses. 163 00:11:32,995 --> 00:11:37,235 People are held here for weeks in cramped conditions. 164 00:11:37,235 --> 00:11:40,275 They are nearly all single young men. 165 00:11:44,035 --> 00:11:45,995 TRANSLATION: We put them in an apartment 166 00:11:45,995 --> 00:11:48,635 while we wait until it's safe to go. 167 00:11:48,635 --> 00:11:50,835 The families get their food and supplies together 168 00:11:50,835 --> 00:11:52,875 and when they're ready, we take their phone 169 00:11:52,875 --> 00:11:54,875 so that the cops can't find out about us. 170 00:12:03,395 --> 00:12:07,715 Once the smuggler has gathered enough people here in Istanbul, 171 00:12:07,715 --> 00:12:11,275 they'll begin the most dangerous part of their journey so far, 172 00:12:11,275 --> 00:12:14,795 to get across the Mediterranean Sea and into Europe. 173 00:12:17,635 --> 00:12:21,795 This is footage of his customers heading to the boats. 174 00:12:24,635 --> 00:12:26,595 We put them in a van and drive them to the mountains 175 00:12:26,595 --> 00:12:28,235 near where we keep the boats. 176 00:12:29,835 --> 00:12:32,235 From there, they walk towards the sea. 177 00:12:35,755 --> 00:12:38,955 Then everyone gets in and the journey begins. 178 00:12:43,635 --> 00:12:48,155 We've seen several videos of migrants on the smuggler's boats... 179 00:12:56,675 --> 00:12:59,355 ..thanking him for getting them to Western Europe. 180 00:13:04,795 --> 00:13:06,595 The videos are filmed 181 00:13:06,595 --> 00:13:10,195 to prove the migrants have safely made the crossing. 182 00:13:11,795 --> 00:13:14,715 The money for the trip is held by a middleman 183 00:13:14,715 --> 00:13:18,755 and not paid to the smuggler until they arrive in Italy or Greece. 184 00:13:21,875 --> 00:13:23,875 The smuggler says he even runs 185 00:13:23,875 --> 00:13:27,875 a luxury VIP service for wealthy clients. 186 00:13:35,475 --> 00:13:38,915 But crossing the Med is far from plain sailing. 187 00:13:41,955 --> 00:13:44,155 Sit down, sit down. Down, down. Sit down. 188 00:13:44,155 --> 00:13:48,435 Nearly 2,000 people died making the journey last year. 189 00:13:50,075 --> 00:13:54,155 The UN Refugee Agency fully supports ending the criminality, 190 00:13:54,155 --> 00:13:56,755 ending the horror that we all see 191 00:13:56,755 --> 00:13:58,835 of these boats arriving - 192 00:13:58,835 --> 00:14:01,395 young women with babies, people drowning, 193 00:14:01,395 --> 00:14:04,195 bodies being picked up, you know, at sea - 194 00:14:04,195 --> 00:14:06,515 from people attempting to find the solution. 195 00:14:09,595 --> 00:14:14,395 Britain would say that many of these people are not refugees, 196 00:14:14,395 --> 00:14:18,115 they're economic migrants. Why should Britain accept them? 197 00:14:18,115 --> 00:14:23,915 The probability is that about 80% of them are almost certainly refugees. 198 00:14:23,915 --> 00:14:28,275 Maybe about 20% would not fall within the legal category. 199 00:14:34,155 --> 00:14:36,595 Many are heading to the UK. 200 00:14:36,595 --> 00:14:40,475 The government here says it wants to smash the people smugglers. 201 00:14:42,435 --> 00:14:44,955 It's brought in tougher prison sentences 202 00:14:44,955 --> 00:14:48,155 and made it illegal for people to arrive by dinghy. 203 00:14:49,235 --> 00:14:53,715 But the most controversial plan is to send some asylum seekers, 204 00:14:53,715 --> 00:14:58,515 likely single men, to Africa to have their claims processed. 205 00:15:02,035 --> 00:15:08,155 The government signed a £120 million deal with Rwanda in April, 206 00:15:08,155 --> 00:15:10,795 despite warnings from its own advisers 207 00:15:10,795 --> 00:15:13,955 about human rights abuses in Rwanda 208 00:15:13,955 --> 00:15:18,275 and international concern about the deal's legality. 209 00:15:20,115 --> 00:15:24,075 The legislation is inhumane, it's unethical, 210 00:15:24,075 --> 00:15:27,355 it fails to achieve the very objective of our role, 211 00:15:27,355 --> 00:15:29,635 which is protection of people displaced. 212 00:15:29,635 --> 00:15:32,075 It is in breach of international law. 213 00:15:32,075 --> 00:15:34,075 So obviously, there are concerns. 214 00:15:34,075 --> 00:15:37,315 But our immediate concerns as the UN Refugee Agency 215 00:15:37,315 --> 00:15:42,355 concern the lack of safeguards in the asylum system. 216 00:15:42,355 --> 00:15:44,635 We have been working with the Rwandan government 217 00:15:44,635 --> 00:15:46,155 to strengthen that system, 218 00:15:46,155 --> 00:15:49,155 but it's one that does not have the safeguards that will protect 219 00:15:49,155 --> 00:15:52,955 the rights of those people, were they to be forcibly transferred 220 00:15:52,955 --> 00:15:55,635 from the United Kingdom to Rwanda. 221 00:16:00,315 --> 00:16:04,355 It's not safe for me to go to Rwanda to investigate. 222 00:16:05,755 --> 00:16:07,995 I was threatened after making a film 223 00:16:07,995 --> 00:16:11,595 that challenged the official account of the country's genocide 224 00:16:11,595 --> 00:16:13,035 28 years ago. 225 00:16:14,315 --> 00:16:17,075 The government says Rwanda has changed. 226 00:16:18,955 --> 00:16:21,675 There's nothing wrong with the Rwandan human rights record, 227 00:16:21,675 --> 00:16:25,035 no matter what these external organisations say. 228 00:16:25,035 --> 00:16:31,835 We also have surveys and indices that talk about how safe Rwanda is. 229 00:16:31,835 --> 00:16:35,955 We have made tremendous progress in the last 28 years. 230 00:16:35,955 --> 00:16:38,355 Rwandans trust their government. 231 00:16:38,355 --> 00:16:41,715 We have people who come to live here of their own. 232 00:16:41,715 --> 00:16:44,115 We consider ourselves a country of migration. 233 00:16:48,035 --> 00:16:52,915 So far, not a single asylum seeker has been sent to Rwanda. 234 00:16:52,915 --> 00:16:55,435 The first flight this summer was grounded 235 00:16:55,435 --> 00:16:58,795 by the European Court of Human Rights. 236 00:16:58,795 --> 00:17:01,395 I think we should have grasped the nettle 237 00:17:01,395 --> 00:17:03,715 and actually let that plane take off. 238 00:17:04,875 --> 00:17:06,235 We feel powerless 239 00:17:06,235 --> 00:17:09,235 and the government, I'm sure, feels pretty powerless, 240 00:17:09,235 --> 00:17:11,835 because whichever way it tries to turn, 241 00:17:11,835 --> 00:17:15,315 to actually do things that the population want done properly, 242 00:17:15,315 --> 00:17:18,875 like taking back control, taking control of your borders, 243 00:17:18,875 --> 00:17:21,555 we seem to be thwarted by external forces 244 00:17:21,555 --> 00:17:24,155 that are seemingly outside of our control. 245 00:17:28,755 --> 00:17:32,235 Vahid says he fled Iran to Britain 246 00:17:32,235 --> 00:17:35,035 because he was persecuted for being a Christian. 247 00:17:36,155 --> 00:17:37,835 The Home Office has told him 248 00:17:37,835 --> 00:17:41,715 they intend to reject his asylum application. 249 00:17:41,715 --> 00:17:44,475 That means he could be sent to Rwanda. 250 00:17:47,835 --> 00:17:51,395 TRANSLATION: The hopes I have had about living in a safe country 251 00:17:51,395 --> 00:17:53,195 all vanished. 252 00:17:54,515 --> 00:17:57,115 If I knew that I would go through so much, 253 00:17:57,115 --> 00:17:58,715 I would never have left. 254 00:18:02,795 --> 00:18:06,475 Vahid says he was forced to work for the people smugglers. 255 00:18:09,755 --> 00:18:13,515 They took us to a place like a warehouse. 256 00:18:14,995 --> 00:18:19,755 We were around 35 to 40 people. 257 00:18:22,435 --> 00:18:25,315 They said, "You must just follow our orders." 258 00:18:26,955 --> 00:18:30,195 Were they violent? 259 00:18:30,195 --> 00:18:31,635 Were you abused? 260 00:18:33,035 --> 00:18:34,475 Yes, they did all of that. 261 00:18:36,515 --> 00:18:39,355 They harassed us, tortured us. 262 00:18:39,355 --> 00:18:41,115 We suffered everything. 263 00:18:44,195 --> 00:18:45,635 He is a genuine Christian. 264 00:18:45,635 --> 00:18:48,435 He was persecuted because of his religious beliefs. 265 00:18:48,435 --> 00:18:51,795 He was persecuted by even the human traffickers. 266 00:18:51,795 --> 00:18:53,715 So he needs help. 267 00:18:53,715 --> 00:18:55,875 We are putting a vulnerable person 268 00:18:55,875 --> 00:18:59,435 as a matter of experiment to a third country like Rwanda 269 00:18:59,435 --> 00:19:02,915 where we know, you know, the government knows, 270 00:19:02,915 --> 00:19:06,755 has a track record where there are a lot of human right breaches. 271 00:19:06,755 --> 00:19:08,195 It's bizarre. 272 00:19:08,195 --> 00:19:09,915 OK, watch your hands. Watch... 273 00:19:09,915 --> 00:19:11,635 Children first. No. 274 00:19:12,955 --> 00:19:14,675 There will be genuine cases 275 00:19:14,675 --> 00:19:17,075 where what people tell you is absolutely true. 276 00:19:18,355 --> 00:19:21,155 But because of the seeming ease by which you can just 277 00:19:21,155 --> 00:19:24,435 pay for your passage, it has devalued the whole thing. 278 00:19:24,435 --> 00:19:28,075 It's young men, well dressed, good haircuts, 279 00:19:28,075 --> 00:19:31,155 new mobile phones, and money in their pocket, 280 00:19:31,155 --> 00:19:35,075 and people struggle to see that these are genuine refugees. 281 00:19:40,475 --> 00:19:42,715 It's here in northern France 282 00:19:42,715 --> 00:19:47,155 that refugees and economic migrants face their final hurdle. 283 00:19:48,235 --> 00:19:49,515 The Channel. 284 00:19:50,635 --> 00:19:54,795 One last dangerous journey to reach the UK. 285 00:19:59,715 --> 00:20:03,315 There's no shortage of customers for the people smugglers. 286 00:20:05,835 --> 00:20:08,515 Where are you aiming to go? Will you stay in France? 287 00:20:08,515 --> 00:20:10,035 Where do you want to go? 288 00:20:10,035 --> 00:20:12,835 Really, I want to go to England. 289 00:20:13,955 --> 00:20:15,795 And do you have family in England? 290 00:20:17,235 --> 00:20:19,675 Yeah, I have my brother. 291 00:20:20,675 --> 00:20:22,715 He's in England. 292 00:20:22,715 --> 00:20:25,035 And do you know that the British government is saying 293 00:20:25,035 --> 00:20:28,995 that it will send people to Rwanda if they're not accepted? 294 00:20:28,995 --> 00:20:31,675 I know that, but what can I do? 295 00:20:31,675 --> 00:20:33,315 Just, I want to stay in England. 296 00:20:37,075 --> 00:20:41,035 The opposition to the government's Rwanda plan starts here. 297 00:20:42,875 --> 00:20:45,635 Care4Calais is one of a number of groups 298 00:20:45,635 --> 00:20:49,195 challenging the legality of the policy in the British courts. 299 00:20:50,995 --> 00:20:54,195 If you get to the UK, then you use this leaflet. 300 00:20:54,195 --> 00:20:57,075 These phone numbers will help you, 301 00:20:57,075 --> 00:21:00,715 and we will get you a lawyer to stop Rwanda. OK. 302 00:21:00,715 --> 00:21:03,235 And you tell your friends, as well, OK? 303 00:21:03,235 --> 00:21:04,915 It's very, very important. 304 00:21:04,915 --> 00:21:06,115 NO SPEECH AUDIBLE 305 00:21:07,435 --> 00:21:09,515 Government would see this as thwarting 306 00:21:09,515 --> 00:21:12,075 the will of the government and of public opinion 307 00:21:12,075 --> 00:21:16,355 in stopping asylum seekers claiming asylum wrongly. 308 00:21:16,355 --> 00:21:18,475 The lawyers couldn't help them 309 00:21:18,475 --> 00:21:20,795 if they didn't have the rights there to help them. 310 00:21:20,795 --> 00:21:23,515 We have the rights and we help them stand by it. 311 00:21:23,515 --> 00:21:25,915 It is brutal and cruel and wrong 312 00:21:25,915 --> 00:21:27,755 because the United Kingdom is not supposed to 313 00:21:27,755 --> 00:21:29,995 abuse people's human rights. 314 00:21:29,995 --> 00:21:32,395 We are not...that is not who we are. 315 00:21:32,395 --> 00:21:35,035 And if we say yes to this, then that is what we are doing. 316 00:21:43,555 --> 00:21:47,675 But some refugees say they are having second thoughts. 317 00:21:57,275 --> 00:22:00,835 The plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, will it stop you? 318 00:22:06,115 --> 00:22:08,435 So will you stop trying to go to the UK 319 00:22:08,435 --> 00:22:10,515 because of Rwanda, or will you still try? 320 00:22:20,555 --> 00:22:25,595 There's a network of criminal gangs that get people across the Channel. 321 00:22:27,035 --> 00:22:29,875 And the smuggler we met in Turkey is part of it. 322 00:22:34,275 --> 00:22:38,635 We buy a dinghy and install a motor for about $10,000, $20,000. 323 00:22:44,315 --> 00:22:47,755 One of the passengers goes for free in return for navigating the boat. 324 00:22:58,915 --> 00:23:00,955 They just go straight across the Channel. 325 00:23:06,075 --> 00:23:09,995 When they reach the UK, they just turn themselves over to the police. 326 00:23:23,115 --> 00:23:25,955 For now, the people smugglers are winning. 327 00:23:30,755 --> 00:23:34,275 There are scenes like this most days in Dover. 328 00:23:35,555 --> 00:23:40,315 Exhausted asylum seekers setting foot on British soil. 329 00:23:41,835 --> 00:23:45,595 Well, I've counted more than 100 people coming off the boat 330 00:23:45,595 --> 00:23:47,755 and still they're arriving. 331 00:23:47,755 --> 00:23:51,155 And we know there are at least two other Border Force vessels 332 00:23:51,155 --> 00:23:55,075 out there in the Channel right now, still picking up migrants. 333 00:24:01,635 --> 00:24:06,995 The day we filmed was the busiest for crossings since records began. 334 00:24:06,995 --> 00:24:11,635 1,295 made the trip in one day. 335 00:24:13,715 --> 00:24:16,115 Many are men from Albania, 336 00:24:16,115 --> 00:24:19,555 where people smugglers are offering cut-price rates. 337 00:24:21,835 --> 00:24:25,235 Everyone arriving needs food, clothing and health care. 338 00:24:27,075 --> 00:24:29,515 The government says it's now spending 339 00:24:29,515 --> 00:24:33,795 around £5 million a day just on hotels. 340 00:24:33,795 --> 00:24:37,395 My email inbox is full of people with accommodation problems, 341 00:24:37,395 --> 00:24:40,435 so when they then hear that there is another 342 00:24:40,435 --> 00:24:43,955 big, large number of people, no matter which route they come in, 343 00:24:43,955 --> 00:24:45,915 these numbers become alarming to people 344 00:24:45,915 --> 00:24:49,195 cos they know that many of our services that we all want 345 00:24:49,195 --> 00:24:51,515 are not exactly working perfectly now, 346 00:24:51,515 --> 00:24:53,555 and this will simply add to the pressure. 347 00:24:57,555 --> 00:24:59,155 The government told us 348 00:24:59,155 --> 00:25:01,795 its "world-leading partnership with Rwanda" 349 00:25:01,795 --> 00:25:06,315 is a key part of "plans to fix the broken asylum system". 350 00:25:07,355 --> 00:25:11,355 It still wants to "break the business model" of people smugglers 351 00:25:11,355 --> 00:25:14,155 and "prevent further loss of life". 352 00:25:14,155 --> 00:25:17,875 It says Rwanda is a "safe and secure country" 353 00:25:17,875 --> 00:25:21,515 with a "strong track record of supporting asylum seekers". 354 00:25:28,435 --> 00:25:31,875 Earlier this month, the government returned to the courts 355 00:25:31,875 --> 00:25:35,315 to argue that its Rwanda plan is safe and legal. 356 00:25:37,075 --> 00:25:40,435 A ruling on whether it can start removing asylum seekers 357 00:25:40,435 --> 00:25:42,635 is expected later this autumn. 358 00:25:43,715 --> 00:25:46,955 Even if the UK government wins the court case, 359 00:25:46,955 --> 00:25:51,595 it's only likely to send a couple of hundred people to Rwanda. 360 00:25:51,595 --> 00:25:55,595 That's all the government there says it has the capacity to hold. 361 00:25:55,595 --> 00:25:58,115 That's unlikely to stop the people smugglers, 362 00:25:58,115 --> 00:26:00,275 who are bringing thousands to Britain. 363 00:26:03,555 --> 00:26:06,035 The numbers are going up. 364 00:26:06,035 --> 00:26:08,675 The people who are taking these journeys are well aware 365 00:26:08,675 --> 00:26:12,075 that they are at risk of being transferred to Rwanda. 366 00:26:12,075 --> 00:26:13,515 It's not stopping them. 367 00:26:16,155 --> 00:26:18,795 What is being achieved here? Almost nothing. 368 00:26:18,795 --> 00:26:20,755 It's hugely expensive, 369 00:26:20,755 --> 00:26:22,875 and the very high probability 370 00:26:22,875 --> 00:26:27,555 is that those that do come to Rwanda will leave very, very quickly 371 00:26:27,555 --> 00:26:29,795 and we're right back where we started again. 372 00:26:37,835 --> 00:26:42,035 This month, the number of arrivals by boat reached a new record. 373 00:26:43,235 --> 00:26:47,275 Over 30,000 so far this year. 374 00:26:47,275 --> 00:26:50,115 That's already more than the whole of last year. 375 00:26:51,515 --> 00:26:54,275 What do local people think about all this? 376 00:26:54,275 --> 00:26:56,995 I think they're getting a little bit tired of it now, really, 377 00:26:56,995 --> 00:26:59,435 myself included. 378 00:26:59,435 --> 00:27:01,075 Do you think the numbers will carry on? 379 00:27:01,075 --> 00:27:02,795 We're now in early autumn, 380 00:27:02,795 --> 00:27:04,915 but is there any sign of the numbers stopping? 381 00:27:04,915 --> 00:27:06,675 No, no, not at all. 382 00:27:06,675 --> 00:27:08,835 I mean, it gets... It just seems to get busier. 383 00:27:12,795 --> 00:27:16,315 The last time I saw the people smuggler in Istanbul, 384 00:27:16,315 --> 00:27:18,515 he was buying this new boat. 385 00:27:21,195 --> 00:27:23,035 His business is growing. 386 00:27:24,595 --> 00:27:26,995 The British government has announced a plan 387 00:27:26,995 --> 00:27:30,715 to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. 388 00:27:30,715 --> 00:27:32,475 Will this make a difference? 389 00:27:33,755 --> 00:27:38,195 Even if they sent a thousand people a day to Rwanda, they won't stop. 390 00:27:38,195 --> 00:27:39,715 People won't change their mind. 391 00:27:43,515 --> 00:27:47,595 They aren't afraid of dying, and if they're not afraid of death, 392 00:27:47,595 --> 00:27:49,595 they won't be afraid of going to Rwanda. 393 00:27:57,555 --> 00:27:59,995 The government says it's determined 394 00:27:59,995 --> 00:28:02,595 to break the people smugglers' business model. 395 00:28:04,275 --> 00:28:06,075 But there's no sign of it yet. 396 00:28:07,435 --> 00:28:11,115 The numbers arriving in the UK are still rising.