Evil people smugglers luring migrant parents with half-price deals for newborns as babies act as ‘human shields’

PEOPLE smugglers are luring migrants who have newborns on to crowded cross-Channel dinghies with half-price deals to act as a “human shield”. The gangs want babies on board so French police will not intervene for fear of causing the tots to end up in the water, sources told The Sun on Sunday. People smugglers are luring migrants who have newborns on to crowded cross-Channel dinghies with half-price deals to act as a ‘human shield’ Credit: LNP The gangs want babies on board so French police will not intervene for fear of causing the tots to end up in the water, sources told The Sun on Sunday Credit: LNP Parents are now getting boat places for babies as young as three months old for just £600 — compared with the standard price of £1,300. A photo last week showed a months-old baby in a romper suit being hoisted up by the arm on to a dinghy, while dangling over the water. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! One female migrant, who asked not to be named, said: “I only have to pay 700 euros for my baby instead of 1500 euros in another boat with other adults and no babies.” Aid workers have warned there are increasing numbers of mums and babies flooding the camps, raising fears that more lives will be put at risk. One three-month-old baby, who has been sleeping in a camp in woods near Calais with her family, had been on three crossing attempts. Her mum said she had paid the discounted price for her. A male relative, 32, said they were only stopped on the first try by cops as the boat was either full or too far away so they could not all get on. Asked if he worries about the children, he said: “I’m kind of worried, yeah. If anything goes wrong it’s bad. With the babies it is bad.” Most read in The Sun He defiantly added: “But we will get to Britain eventually.” A UK Border Force source said: “We are aware of this tactic by the smugglers, of using babies as a type of human shield in the boats, by offering their parents half the price of a standard crossing. “It is more evidence of the callous disregard the smugglers show for people’s lives.” It comes after 230 people illegally crossed into the UK on one huge boat on Monday. The increasingly brazen smugglers have been scrambling to reassure migrants after complaints the mega vessels are dangerous. And they have used the fear spreading through camp as a cash grab by pushing VIP deals for them to pay more to get on a smaller boat containing only around 30 people. Others warned the 50ft mega dinghies will become more “normal” as they vowed to get into Britain despite repeated failed attempts. One migrant, Ali Razoul, 53, has been in the camp for two months after travelling from northern Iraq with his family, including two children. Despite trying, and failing, six times to get on a boat and still being desperate to get to the UK, he said: “I’m not sure about having 200 people on. It’s very, very dangerous.” Comment now