WAITING: African migrants sit in a packed room covered by blankets near Tripoli

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Senior members of the NCA, dubbed Britain’s FBI, revealed the figures as they detailed the increasingly tough battle they face to stop people smugglers. NCA directors warned of a sharp rise in attempted illegal sea crossings from Africa to Europe this year, with about 300 people drowning last week. Migrants are then crossing Europe and using increasingly devious ways to evade detection, including being hidden in “coffin-sized” secret compartments on vehicles. Migration across the Mediterranean from Africa has become a critical issue for the EU, with member states arguing over the best way to deal with it. Last month saw Italy turn away boats carrying migrants rescued from the sea, and Angela Merkel’s leadership of Germany has come under threat as she faces pressure to reach a deal to cope with the problem. Agreement was tentatively reached at an EU summit last month, but member states are still arguing over solutions. Tom Dowdall, NCA deputy director of organised immigration crime, said the problem was growing. Attempted crossings to Greece and Turkey are up by 47 per cent on last year, with those to Spain and Italy up by 75 per cent.

NCA investigators found three distressed children hidden in this 'coffin' area under van in Kent

The flatbed truck hidden the small coffin area beneath

They have not reached the peak levels of 2015, caused after Merkel made a hugely controversial decision to in effect open Germany’s borders and allow a million refugees in. Since then efforts have been made to stem the tide. Last month, Italy turned away boats with migrants who had been rescued while making the crossing. But the number of migrants entering Libya has not slowed, and Italy’s move has made the buildup increase. Mr Dowdall said: “The activity of the Italian Republic has caused a meltdown in Libya, creating a bottleneck. “There are now around 700,000 migrants in Libya and this is making it more difficult for them to move out.” However, crossing are still made. Chris Hogben, NCA head of operations for organised immigration crime, said rescue boats manned by non governmental organisations were inadvertantly aiding people smugglers. The NGOs are supposed to rescue people once they are further than 12 miles from the Libyan coast, but come in much closer, he said. He said: “They make it easier for the crime groups who now send a boat with not enough fuel on purpose because they know they will be picked up.”

EU Summit 2018 LIVE pictures as talks progress to Brexit Fri, June 29, 2018 EU countries' leaders meet on 28 and 29 June for a summit to discuss migration in general, the installation of asylum-seeker processing centres in northern Africa, and other security- and economy-related topics including Brexit. Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 36 Hungarian Prime Minister Vickor Orban talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel

The details emerged at a briefing on Project Invigor, a joint NCA, Home Office, Coastguard, Border Force and Crown Prosecution Service operation that has been running at an annual cost of £14 million for two and a half years. Around 140 officers make up the squad which currently has 250 live investigations into organised gangs trying to sneak people into the UK and those forging documents to aid them and keep illegal immigrants here. The main source countries for migrants into Europe are Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Niger and Afghanistan. Mr Dowdall said people smugglers collectively make between three and six billion pounds a year charging would-be migrants thousands of pounds each to get to Europe. A single boat from Africa to Europe can net smugglers between £75,000 and £300,0000, depending on how many are on board. Many migrants then make their way to the Channel to enter Britain. He said that following the destruction of the notorious Jungle camp in Calais in October 2016, which once housed up to 10,000 migrants determined to get into Britain, the problem has shifted to Belgium. Mr Dowdall said: “There are now just 300 to 350 migrants in Calais. Our main area of concern is Belgium, where organised crime gangs are loading people into lorries, before bringing them through France and onto the UK.

Afrim Xhekaliu

Migrants on the boat used by Afrim Xhekaliu after it had to be rescued.

“This is happening in lorry parks. “They are subjecting migrants to higher risks for longer, hidden in vehicles, including refrigerated vehicles. “There are adapted hides in the rear of vehicles, an area for six to eight people, with welded false doors, and coffin hides in vehicles which speaks for itself.” Mr Dowdall said “complicit lorry drivers” was a growing problem, with fees of up to £2,000 per migrant being paid to them. One driver was caught by the NCA being paid £25,000 by a smuggler. Mr Dowdall said Iraqi Kurd and Afghan gangs, who tend to smuggle their own ethnic groups, were the most prolific people smugglers to the UK, largely using lorries as cover. Each Iraqi Kurd pays smugglers between £7,500 and £19,000 to reach the UK, with cash being released by relatives back home as each stage is completed. However, Albanian networks using lorries and high-powered small boats across the English Channel are becoming increasingly common.

Alket Dauti is arrested

This year more than 58,000 migrants have arrived in Italy and 1,569 have died Thu, June 29, 2017 An estimated 230,000 refugees and migrants will arrive in Italy this year as numbers of refugees and migrants attempting the dangerous central mediterranean crossing from Libya to Italy continues to rise since the same time last year Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 11 Refugees and migrants wait in a small rubber boat to be rescued off Lampedusa, Italy