PEOPLE traffickers are making up to ￡700,000 from each Channel crossing, The Sun can reveal.

       They cram boats with up to 40 people, charging them 20,000 euros each — close to ￡20,000.

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       People smugglers are making a fortune by cramming up to 40 people on boats to cross the Channel Credit: Darren Fletcher 2

       Cops say the trade is worth more than drug dealing as migrants are charged up to ￡20,000 per Channel crossing Credit: Darren Fletcher

       Cops say the trade is more lucrative than drug dealing as all the smugglers have to pay out for is ￡2,000 on a boat.

       We joined French police chief Laurent Hurst on patrol as his team targeted illegal migrants around Calais.

       Commissioner Hurst said: “For the traffickers this business is worth more than drug smuggling — you have a very small outlay for a decent-sized boat and that is it.

       “You then fill it with as many as 30 or 40 people, sometimes more, and charge them 20,000 euros each. That’s almost one million euros and if you feel generous you may give them a life jacket to keep them alive.”

       Last month Britain gave Paris ￡54million to pay for extra cops, drones and heat-seeking cameras to tackle traffickers.

       But so far this year more than 11,000 illegal migrants have made the dangerous trip.

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       While with the police unit we witnessed the discovery of a boat hidden in woods with 30 migrants close to the village of Sangatte.

       An Iraqi family told us they had paid 20,000 euros each for their crossing.

       Dover MP Natalie Elphicke insisted: “It is time to stop the boats leaving, make returns and bring an end to crossings.”

       Officials in France now fear a surge in crossings as Afghans flee the Taliban.

       Dozens in a day

       DOZENS of migrants crossed the Channel in small boats yesterday for the first time in almost a week as people smugglers took advantage of a break in bad weather.

       By 1pm, at least 150 were thought to have been brought into Dover — the first to arrive since 285 crossed on board nine boats last Sunday.

       So far in August, 2,184 have arrived in 70 boats.

       A record 11,599 migrants have made the treacherous trip so far this year.

       Video: the new military-style super dinghies being deployed by people smugglers in the English Channel