Why are Channel smuggling gangs using mega-dinghies?

Channel smuggling gangs have switched to "mega-dinghies" mainly because tighter French policing has squeezed the supply of small boats, pushing frustrated smugglers towards larger inflatables that can carry far more people per crossing [1]. These vessels, capable of holding up to 230 migrants, let gangs move hundreds of people at once and can earn them millions of pounds in just a few days [2, 3]. The large boats themselves are manufactured in China and shipped roughly 6,000 miles to networks in northern France, with their growing size specifically enabling more migrants to be packed onto each crossing [4].