People smuggling gangs operating along France's northern coastline are shifting to larger vessels — some carrying over 200 migrants — after a crackdown by French and British authorities has sharply reduced the availability of small boats for illegal Channel crossings. French police say they are now intercepting roughly two-thirds of boats before launch, forcing rival criminal groups to cooperate, load more passengers onto fewer craft, and raise prices to as much as €2,000 per person, up from around €1,300 a year ago. The shift raises serious safety concerns on both sides of the Channel; on 4 August, 170 people required rescue after one such vessel caught fire mid-crossing.