// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Dutch launch shows smugglers are adapting, says MP
Small boats like this one in Gravelines have mainly launched from France in recent years
Dover MP Mike Tapp says smugglers will keep adapting after it was discovered that a boat stopped in the Channel with 38 migrants on board had launched from the Netherlands.
Prosecutors have confirmed the vessel that was found floating with no engine near Cadzand on Saturday had entered the water from Dutch territory.
This year crossings have already been attempted along a wider stretch of coast from Belgium to Normandy.
The UK government said that overall crossings were down significantly this year.
"As launch disruptions grow, the criminal gangs will adapt and a part of that will be finding new launch locations and methods," said Tapp.
"That means our operational efforts must also be agile.
"We have seen a significant reduction in crossings this year, but we still have a long way to go."
Bastiaan van Blokland from the Netherlands Red Cross said the crossing was "unusual"
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink, who is also minister of asylum and migration, said it was "highly disturbing" to see this happening in Dutch waters.