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The fight against illegal immigration across the Channel is a top priority for the French and British authorities. To address this, the two countries have signed an agreement funded by London to the tune of 72.2 million euros for the period 2022-2023. The aim is to set up a “smart border” based on advanced technologies to secure the coastline and avoid drowning on board makeshift boats.
It is in this context that the
French company HGH has been asked by
the Ministry of Interior to provide
several SPYNEL infrared panoramic
detection solutions. These systems
allow for permanent and continuous
surveillance in addition to the
temporary surveillance means such as
patrols, drones and airplanes used
to monitor the one hundred and fifty
kilometers of coastline of the Nord
and Pas-de-Calais departments. The smugglers' ploy is constantly evolving, which is why French authorities are multiplying sensors and surveillance solutions to succeed in preventing the departure of migrants before a tragedy occurs. Equipped with the CYCLOPE software, SPYNEL panoramic surveillance cameras monitor day and night delineated areas within a ten-kilometer radius. The infrared sensors instantly alert the police command centers if migrants are detected while taking their boat to sea.
"Image processing and artificial
intelligence algorithms have been
developed on the CYCLOPE software to
trigger an alarm only in case of
detection of groups of people near
the water, to avoid false alarms and
act quickly. The SPYNEL solution is
ideal for this need because it
allows continuous and intelligent
monitoring of the coastline over a
very long distance," explains
Edouard Campana, responsible for the
SPYNEL range at HGH.
More than 45,000 migrants reached
the English coast illegally in 2022
by crossing the Channel on makeshift
boats. Since 2014, more than 200
people have lost their lives trying
to cross the Channel from the
northern coast of France. With the
implementation of the "smart border",
French and British authorities have
strengthened their collaboration
with the aim of safeguarding human
life thanks to innovative solutions.
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