The mayor of a northern French town has told Sky News that efforts to stem migrants coming across the Channel on small boats cannot be sustained.

Migrants are thought to be using launch spots along a 30-mile stretch of coastline between Boulogne and Dunkirk - riddled with locations that are ideal to quickly put to sea in a small boat without being seen.

Franck Dhersin, mayor of Teteghem, said: "The French don't have enough patrols.

"We don't have enough police to be on every beach all the time. It's impossible. And we have many harbours and many little ships."

Image: Mayor Franck Dhersin says there are not enough police to stop all the migrants

It comes amid fears that migrants could be losing their lives at sea, with authorities unaware of their deaths.


Gerard Barron, chairman of Boulogne lifeboat, says he believes tens of migrants have died over the past year making failed attempts to reach the UK by sea.

Britain has vowed to stem the recent wave of migrants reaching the UK from northern France.

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There have been around a hundred migrant arrivals since Christmas Eve - mostly Iranians crossing in small dinghies.

Image: More migrants were found in Lydd, Kent, on Monday

Image: The migrants were detained after a boat was seen on the shore in Dungeness

It is impossible to secure the hundreds of boats tied up in harbours along the coast.

Mr Barron says reports of stolen vessels, coupled with the dangerous journey and migrants' desperation, means lives must have been lost that have gone unreported.

Image: There are many places on the French coast where boats can set sail unseen

He said: "It's quite possible that tens of people have been lost at sea trying to get across the Channel in inappropriate craft.

"Most of these craft are totally unsuitable for crossing the Channel in in any weather conditions. It can't be seen by radar. It'll get run down by any vessel which is coming up or down the Channel.

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"I'm therefore of the opinion that some of these boats have already come croppers and we will never see them again. They've been mashed to pieces by propellers."