Online Sales of ‘Refugee Boats’ by Chinese Firms Raise Alarm Over Human Smuggling

 

A growing number of Chinese companies are advertising and selling inflatable boats explicitly marketed for transporting refugees, raising serious concerns among international authorities about the role of online marketplaces in aiding people smugglers. These boats, promoted with phrases like “refugee boats” and “immigrant dinghies,” are being openly listed on Alibaba, one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, with sellers offering fast and direct shipping to European destinations commonly associated with migrant routes.

 

 

Over a three-month investigation, The Telegraph found that at least seven suppliers continued to promote these products online without restriction. Despite including search-friendly keywords such as Italy, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, and Libya—well-known transit points for migrants—none of the listings were removed. One seller, Weihai Yamar Outdoors Product Co, even told an undercover reporter that they had many customers in Europe for “refugee boats” and assured them the vessels were “safe for use at sea.”

 

 

When pressed further, a salesman from Hubei Jinlong New Materials, which lists Europe as its primary market for “refugee inflatable rib boats,” explained that even larger, custom-sized boats could be ordered. After being asked if seven meters was the largest available, the seller responded, “7m is not the biggest option, custom size is available.” Boats are offered at a range of price points—from as low as $200 (£151) to more than $2,000 (£1,508)—with some models claiming to hold up to 30 people, despite their typical safe capacity being far lower.

 

 

Neville Blackwood, a former UK police officer and expert in international law enforcement, was blunt in his assessment. “Nobody seems to be in fear of arrest or prosecution. It’s business as usual on the Alibaba site,” he said. “These are flimsy boats and engines that aren’t appropriate to set sail and, potentially, people could lose their lives. To advertise them is just wrong; it’s putting people’s lives at risk.”

 

The UK government is reportedly in discussions with Chinese authorities to restrict these sales. Last year, the National Crime Agency (NCA) began talks with Beijing to limit access to outboard motors commonly used in illegal crossings. More recently, Chinese officials attended a border security summit hosted in London, signaling at least some willingness to engage on the issue.

 

Still, Blackwood is skeptical about progress. “There will be a lot of ‘yes, we hear what you say,’ but nothing happens, and it gets more frustrating,” he said, noting that even with cooperation, investigations and enforcement could take years.

 

The danger posed by these boats is not theoretical. In 2024, more than 37,000 people crossed the English Channel in around 690 boats—a number nearly identical to the vessel count in 2020, but with four times as many people crammed on board. Authorities have documented up to 90 individuals stuffed into a single inflatable meant for far fewer. That overcrowding, combined with the channel’s heavy shipping traffic and unstable craft, has led to tragedy. The United Nations migration agency reported at least 80 deaths in 2024 alone, including a four-month-old baby, making it the deadliest year yet for Channel crossings.

 

Despite this, Chinese suppliers continue selling without hesitation. A Qingdao Rongsheng Sports Goods advert marketed a 10-metre “immigrant boat” with shipping costs as low as $20 (£15) for first-time buyers. Engines can be purchased for as little as $300 (£226), often from the same companies selling the rafts.

 

A Home Office spokesperson responded to the findings, stating: “We welcome this research from The Telegraph which highlights the complexity of disrupting global supply chains used by organised criminal networks. We have a strong intelligence picture and are aware of these supply chains.” The spokesperson added that more than 600 boats and engines have been seized in the past 18 months and over 18,000 online adverts linked to illegal immigration activity have been taken down.

 

Still, the core challenge remains unresolved. As long as these vessels are so easily acquired online and promoted with impunity, the risk to desperate migrants—and the task of stopping smugglers—will persist.

 

Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-04-22

 

 

In the last century Europe forced opium on the Chinese, sacked and looted their palaces, and forced them into trade . They never forget.

First US wars in the middle east and further drove refugees to europe,

now the Chinese aiding even more to europe.

Maybe the Chinese want more Africans to make the journey to europe

so they can take over African countries better?

Europe is doomed.

The Chinese now make some good products, but I'm not sure I'd be getting in a dinghy from Alibaba.

Those market forces the rightwing worship are, we are told, never wrong.

People sure do read a lot into an advert.  I didn't  see 'refugee' once.    Selling boats where there is water to use them in ... shameful 

 

Let's not forget, all inflatable boat sales folks must be Chinese.   Surely nobody else buys them and sells them for illegal activity.

 

What next ... Chinese selling drones to cartels, to deliver drugs to prisoner in jail.   Chinese sell EV in MX to cartels , so they can cut cost for drug & human trafficking.  

 

Nobody complained about CN selling cruise missile guidance systems to Raytheon for use by the USA & NATO.

 

CN could find the cure for cancer, and somehow they would be bad for it 

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

People sure do read a lot into an advert.  I didn't  see 'refugee' once.    Selling boats where there is water to use them in ... shameful 

 

Let's not forget, all inflatable boat sales folks must be Chinese.   Surely nobody else buys them and sells them for illegal activity.

 

What next ... Chinese selling drones to cartels, to deliver drugs to prisoner in jail.   Chinese sell EV in MX to cartels , so they can cut cost for drug & human trafficking.  

 

Nobody complained about CN selling cruise missile guidance systems to Raytheon for use by the USA & NATO.

 

CN could find the cure for cancer, and somehow they would be bad for it 

So you only looked at the pictures and failed to read their sales pitch to the undercover reporters over a 3 month investigation. This article is not based solely on a couple of screen gabs 

i ofter wondered when the UKBorder force or the lifeboats rescue illegal immigants from the rubber dingies are the dingies and the outboard motor impounded by the authorities.? 

 

11 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

So you only looked at the pictures and failed to read their sales pitch to the undercover reporters over a 3 month investigation. This article is not based solely on a couple of screen gabs 

How someone sells or uses CN's products is CN's fault ?

 

The responsibility falls on the end user, not the manufacturer.  People sell burner phone, is that the phone makers fault.  Let's not even start with firearms.  Or drug companies, docs & pharmacies pushing drugs.

 

And CN helping people flee tyrannical govts, oppression, and war zones is a bad thing ?

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

How someone sells or uses CN's products is CN's fault ?

 

The responsibility falls on the end user, not the manufacturer.  People sell burner phone, is that the phone makers fault.  Let's not even start with firearms.  Or drug companies, docs & pharmacies pushing drugs.

They are marketing them via chat as refugee boats. Highly dangerous on the open seas and have caused countless lives to be lost. Shameless

 

That you overlook this says all that needs to be said about you

3 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

They are marketing them via chat as refugee boats. Highly dangerous on the open seas and have caused countless lives to be lost. Shameless

 

That you overlook this says all that needs to be said about you

I did an edit, in case you missed it ...

 

... And CN helping people flee tyrannical govts, oppression, and war zones is a bad thing ? ...

 

Refugee - a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

 

17 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I did an edit, in case you missed it ...

 

... And CN helping people flee tyrannical govts, oppression, and war zones is a bad thing ? ...

 

Refugee - a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

 

I responded to your post as it was, you can reply to that first. Then you can tell me why around 90% of those that cross the channel are male and not women and children

15 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

I responded to your post as it was, you can reply to that first.

No need to repeat myself.  Every product is responsibility of the end user.  I get it, CN is bad.  Carry on.  

 

If I was to use a boat or boat service, I'd check the weather and marine forecast.  Maybe CN should have idiot warning like other products ...

... don't stick metal items in toaster while plugged in

... don't drink the battery acid

... don't use electric appliance in water

... please don't shoot yourself in the head with our firearms

 

... don't use inflatable boats during rough seas or overload the rated capacity, which probably is a warning.   Surely CN's fault when there product is misused.

 

Follows EV criticism of CN making high performance cars people seem to crash.   But high performance ICEV by USA & EU ... no problem.

 

WE get it ... CN is bad

 

A news blip about CN on AN or MSM, or anywhere, will it be ...

... negative or

... positive

 

Let me guess ... 

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

No need to repeat myself.  Every product is responsibility of the end user.  I get it, CN is bad.  Carry on.  

 

If I was to use a boat or boat service, I'd check the weather and marine forecast.  Maybe CN should have idiot warning like other products ...

... don't stick metal items in toaster while plugged in

... don't drink the battery acid

... don't use electric appliance in water

... please don't shoot yourself in the head with our firearms

 

... don't use inflatable boats during rough seas or overload the rated capacity, which probably is a warning.   Surely CN's fault when there product is misused.

 

Follows EV criticism of CN making high performance cars people seem to crash.   But high performance ICEV by USA & EU ... no problem.

 

WE get it ... CN is bad

Actually in this case its shameless

 

"Online Sales of ‘Refugee Boats’ by Chinese Firms, Shameless"

 

Keep up the looking at pics without reading the information

It's only business , maybe they need to say these boats are not to be used to cross

the English channel  ,in their advertisements ,

 

Why do these refugees need to come to UK , they say they are fleeing tyranny , 

in their home country ,but pass through countries that are perfectly safe for them,

just to get in a small rubber boat to cross the channel ,and pay a lot of money to do it.

 

regards worgeorgie

 

 

What's the problem? Australia bought hundreds of unsinkable refugee boats & when they caught refugees on the high seas in flimsy old fishing boats, they would move them across give them plenty of water & tow them back to Indonesia. Nobody drowned & they stopped coming for some reason.

Calling them refugee boats is completely shameless, everyone knows these illegal immigrants are not refugees in the true sense.

No problem, speed dial TRUMP

22 minutes ago, Tailwagsdog said:

What's the problem? Australia bought hundreds of unsinkable refugee boats & when they caught refugees on the high seas in flimsy old fishing boats, they would move them across give them plenty of water & tow them back to Indonesia. Nobody drowned & they stopped coming for some reason.

No such thing as unsinkable refugee boats and thousands have been killed crossing the English Channel and the med

 

I wonder if those expressing concern for the safety of refugees using these Chinese made inflatable boats would back opening of safe travel routes for refugees via ferry and/or channel tunnel trains?

 

 

29 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I wonder if those expressing concern for the safety of refugees using these Chinese made inflatable boats would back opening of safe travel routes for refugees via ferry and/or channel tunnel trains?

 

 

Good idea, why don't you respond to someone expressing concern? Who knows you may get a factual reply rather that a trolling. This topic however is about the shameless Chinese selling them.

 

As far as I'm concerned they should stay where they are or go to hubs.

Hopefully they are all faulty 

3 hours ago, Card said:

In the last century Europe forced opium on the Chinese, sacked and looted their palaces, and forced them into trade . They never forget.

 

Makes a good sense: Historic retaliation to Opium War in the 19th century.

One of CCP long term strategies: Spread the narcotics among the west, in order to damage them from within.

During the Vietnam Era, they actively smuggled heroin into war zone, among military supplies to N/Vietnam.

And quite a few of US and its allied military grunts became addicted to that.

That is how drug hazard became widespread in USA after the conflict.

They have successfully made all of the British Empire and its former colonies drug soaked.

2 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

Makes a good sense: Historic retaliation to Opium War in the 19th century.

One of CCP long term strategies: Spread the narcotics among the west, in order to damage them from within.

During the Vietnam Era, they actively smuggled heroin into war zone, among military supplies to N/Vietnam.

And quite a few of US and its allied military grunts became addicted to that.

That is how drug hazard became widespread in USA after the conflict.

They have successfully made all of the British Empire and its former colonies drug soaked.

And now China is shipping in the Fentanyl , one of the reasons Trump put higher tariffs on China.

4 minutes ago, FlorC said:

And now China is shipping in the Fentanyl , one of the reasons Trump put higher tariffs on China.

 

Whatever Trump’s motive behind mad tariff(including the allies and friendly states), looks like US itself is first to be impacted.

As stated in Trump slogan: American First.

Seemingly too much sacrifice incurred to counter one issue.

14 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

Whatever Trump’s motive behind mad tariff(including the allies and friendly states), looks like US itself is first to be impacted.

As stated in Trump slogan: American First.

Seemingly too much sacrifice incurred to counter one issue.

Let's wait who will blink first and bend the knee.

 

Selling to all directions: From USA, to human traffickers.

No questions asked: Where they stand, or What they use it for.

As long as the payment is made, they are customers.

Today's China, looks even more capitalistic than the west.

Pretty tough sort of adversary to fight against in economic war.

1 hour ago, lavender19 said:

Hopefully they are all faulty 

 

Sometime ago, I have heard the defective rate of Chinese products is as high as 30%.

Isn't the free market wonderful!!! 😆

7 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

Makes a good sense: Historic retaliation to Opium War in the 19th century.

One of CCP long term strategies: Spread the narcotics among the west, in order to damage them from within.

During the Vietnam Era, they actively smuggled heroin into war zone, among military supplies to N/Vietnam.

And quite a few of US and its allied military grunts became addicted to that.

That is how drug hazard became widespread in USA after the conflict.

They have successfully made all of the British Empire and its former colonies drug soaked.

There is no supply without demand. The west needs to get its act together because it's failed in removing the need for narcotic escapism.