dohle yachts uk

Döhle Yachts Limited

A superyacht is a valuable asset, as well as a luxury pleasure vessel. It may start out as a dream, but when it turns into reality it requires professional management and specialised services by highly qualified personnel – and that is something we at Döhle Yachts have considerable experience with. We understand the value of these assets, the intricacies and complexities that it takes to manage them, and the support and service that our clients require.

We provide a comprehensive range of services to many of the best known, most valuable, and most admired superyachts in the world. True to our mission, we are a trusted partner supporting those involved in owning, operating, crewing and managing superyachts. Our support allows the captain and crew to run the vessel without the distraction of onerous administration, allowing the owners and their guests to enjoy the yacht to the fullest extent in the knowledge that the yacht is managed in a safe, efficient, cost-effective, and discreet manner.

Döhle Yachts was founded as the large yacht services and support group of Döhle Private Clients Limited, which is part of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG – one of the world’s largest shipping companies. Out vast connections to the larger Döhle group affords us the knowledge and resources to suitably support your vessel.

You can learn more about us, meet our team, and explore Döhle Yachts’ services and resources on our website. We would be delighted for the opportunity to work with you.

Dohle Yachts Technical Services

25 Barnes Wallis Road Fareham Hampshire PO15 5TT United Kingdom

T: 01489883290 F:  W: www.dohle-yachts.com E: [email protected]

• British Marine are recruiting for a Superyacht UK Manager
• Last chance to secure your place at the Superyacht UK Technical Seminar 2024
• Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition officially underway
• Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition 2024 launch announced
• Agenda released for Superyacht UK Technical Seminar 2024
• Superyacht UK Technical Seminar Announced for 2024
• Superyacht UK Young Designer competition returns
• Ocean Safety meets new 2023 MCA standard with Red Ensign approval
• Alternative Diesel Fuel types now compatible with Fischer Panda generators
• A+T Instruments and FaRo Advanced Systems Collaboration agreement between technologies

Search by category

YACHT MANAGEMENT

of the Döhle Group

OUR MISSION – MANAGING PERFECTION

Döhle Yachts was founded as the large yacht services and support division of the Döhle (IOM) Ltd Group, which is part of the family-owned and operated Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG.

With extensive experience across all aspects of the superyacht industry, its mission is to provide ongoing expert advice and assistance to those involved in owning, operating and managing superyachts.

In addition to its Isle of Man headquarters, Döhle Yachts has offices in the UK, the USA, Guernsey, Monaco and Malta.

Through its dedicated, multidisciplinary and multilingual yacht team, Döhle Yachts provide a knowledgeable, resourceful and reliable approach to the provision of a comprehensive range of services, and is proud to be a trusted and discreet partner to many of the most widely admired yachts in the world.

Click  here  for more information.

• Döhle Yachts
• Meet the team
• Crew Employment
• Maritime Compliance
• Recruitment
• Yacht Finance & Administration
• News, Webcasts & Events
• Crew Training

Isle of Man

Fort Anne, South Quay, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 5PD, British Isles

25 Barnes Wallis Rd, Fareham PO15 5TT United Kingdom

United States

401 E Las Olas Blvd, Suite 14000 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 United States of America

First Floor, Northside House, Vale Avenue, Vale, Guernsey, Channel Islands

Le Goeland, 19, rue Princesse Caroline 98.000 Monaco

SmartCity Malta, SCM 02 Unit 301, SCM1001, Ricasoli, Malta

KNOWLEDGEABLE . RESOURCEFUL . RELIABLE

• Armed Forces Covenant
• Privacy Policy

• Accessibility [a]
• To the top of this page [t]
• To the main content of this page [c]
• To the bottom of this page [b]

Search the directory...

Döhle yachts.

Quick links: Contact Description Send a Message Reviews

Knowledgable, Resourceful and Reliable

Döhle Yachts, a superyacht management group, provide the expert advice and assistance,  supporting those who own, manage and crew superyachts.

Information

Isle of Man United Kingdom (UK)

: +44 1624 653 050

: [email protected]

: https://www.dohle-yachts.com

Review this service

No one has left a review on this page yet.

Send a message

Fill out the form to send a message directly to Döhle Yachts

Döhle Yachts

SCROLL DOWN

Döhle Yachts was founded as the superyacht management group, as part of the family-owned and operated Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG – one of the world’s largest shipping companies.

With extensive experience across all aspects of the superyacht industry, the company’s mission is to provide ongoing expert advice and assistance to those involved in owning, operating and managing superyachts.

Through their dedicated, multidisciplinary and multilingual yacht team, Döhle Yachts provides a knowledgeable, resourceful and reliable approach to the provision of a comprehensive range of services and are proud to be a trusted and discreet partner to many of the most widely admired yachts in the world.

For further information about Döhle Yachts, please see their company website at:   Döhle Yachts

We are currently taking applications for Döhle Yachts’ next cadet intake, which is operated as a joint venture in partnership with the Corporation of Trinity House .

Applicants must be EEA nationals and resident in the UK for a year prior to starting training. 

Once you are ready to apply for a cadetship, please email your application letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV) to us at [email protected] , stating that you are interested in a Döhle Yachts/Trinity House cadetship and confirming your preferred training discipline (i.e. Deck Cadetship, Engineer Cadetship or METO Cadetship).

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE

By SuperyachtNews 13 Oct 2020

Döhle Yachts supports aspiring superyacht officers

A cadet training programme offers opportunities for young people starting a career on superyachts….

In 2017, Döhle Yachts became the first yacht management company to support cadets enrolled in Warsash Maritime School’s officer cadet training programme by fully sponsoring the placement of two cadets. The programme is aimed at those who may have little or no previous experience of working at sea, but wish to become officers on board superyachts or within the wider maritime industry, and offers support, structure and opportunities for young people at the beginning of their careers. 

Committed to sponsoring two cadet placements on each programme, Döhle Yachts has recently sponsored two cadets for the 2020 intake and will start accepting applications for future intakes in the new year. The three-year deck officer cadetship at Warsash leads to the issue of a UK MCA Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) Certificate of Competency (CoC), with routes for aspiring engineers and ETOs also available through the engineer officer cadetship and ETO officer cadetship.

One of Döhle Yachts' first cadets, Max Taylor-Nobbs, has now completed the cadetship and intends to pursue a career in the superyacht industry, securing a deckhand position on a 130m-plus motoryacht. In a webcast episode , Taylor-Nobbs spoke to Ben Geary, fleet statutory manager at Döhle Yachts, about his cadetship experience. “The three-year cadetship course is split into five phases, within which you spend a total of 12 months at sea and alternate between phases at sea and phases at Warsash,” he explains. “What I loved about that is that you are always applying the new things you are learning on shore, and then being able to bring things you have learnt from the sea time.”

Throughout the course, cadets spend their time at sea on a variety of vessels, including superyachts, cruise ships, research vessels and container ships. Richie Blake, managing director of Döhle Yachts, explains that they look to the yachts they have relationships with in order to secure these placements. “It’s not easy, as yachts don’t have excess crew accommodation, but a number of yachts have kindly hosted our cadets during crossings or quiet periods,” he says. “The enthusiasm we have seen so far from the captains and chief officers has been really humbling – they recognise the need for the programme and have really put in an effort to help the cadets learn while they’re on board.” 

“There is no financial return, but that’s not what it’s about; it’s about supporting the industry and helping young people get a good start in their career.”

In addition, Döhle Yachts and Warsash host an annual seminar for all the cadets on the programme to discuss the superyacht industry, with industry captains and representatives from flag states and classification societies also present. “The networking opportunities that provided us with was great,” reflected Taylor-Nobbs. “Meeting current and former captains, and people from all sides of the industry, really helped me with getting advice for the future.”

Döhle Yachts started supporting the cadet programme in response to a lack of opportunity for young people to join the superyacht industry and progress their careers. The superyacht industry often bemoans the lack of a structured career path to ensure quality crew for the future, but Döhle Yachts is unique in the fact that it is being proactive to change this. “It’s no good complaining about it,” asserts Blake. “The only way it is going to change is if someone in our position stands up and does something about it, and that is why we wanted to get involved with the programme. There is no financial return, but that’s not what it’s about; it’s about supporting the industry and helping young people get a good start in their career.” 

The Unlimited certification route was of particular importance to Döhle Yachts. “Whilst things have improved and continue to, the yachting industry has a background of failing to promote a good work-life balance,” Blake comments. “If, for example, a cadet comes through the programme and into a career in yachting, then starts a family and decides to work on ferries for a while before returning to yachting, this CoC gives them the flexibility and the opportunity to go in whichever direction they like.” 

And once the cadets have finished the programme, Döhle Yachts can help them secure their first position on a yacht. “Even though they come out with their OOW CoC, they aren’t going to be joining a yacht as a third or second officer,” adds Blake. “We are very careful to manage their expectations in this respect and they are aware that they will have to get experience as a deckhand first. Yachting is a lot more hands-on than other maritime sectors, but with commitment they will be able to work their way up quicker with the licence. It works both ways because the yachts are getting someone who is qualified to hold a watch, has at least a year’s sea time already, understands the benefits and limitations of the role, and is very enthusiastic about the industry.”

Döhle Yachts will soon be welcoming applications for the next intake from which interviews will be held and the candidates chosen for full sponsorship. The fully-funded sponsorship is open to male and female candidates for either the deck, engineering or ETO cadet programmes and offers a great opportunity for aspiring yacht officers to progress their career without amassing student debt. More information about the programme can be found by clicking here .

Profile links

Döhle Yachts

Join the discussion

To post comments please Sign in or Register

When commenting please follow our house rules

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here .

Related news

Improving recruitment efficiency within the superyacht sphere

Yotspot announces a new layer of technology to its online yachting application process

What is the status of the superyacht crew employment market?

SuperyachtNews speaks to Sara Beecher, Crew Consultant at 19 Yacht Crew

Crew training in the wake of COVID-19

Operations at both UKSA and Bluewater are up and running, but virtual classrooms are the new norm

4 years ago

Sign up to the SuperyachtNews Bulletin

Receive unrivalled market intelligence, weekly headlines and the most relevant and insightful journalism directly to your inbox.

Sign up to the SuperyachtNews Bulletin

The superyachtnews app.

Follow us on

Media Pack Request

Please select exactly what you would like to receive from us by ticking the boxes below:

SuperyachtNews.com

Register to comment

Dohle Yachts USA

Member since: 05.25.23

Gary di Lella

401 E. Las Olas Blvd. Suite 1400

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301

United States

Region: Southeast

Phone: 954-332-2483

Mobile: 954-658-1165

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.dohle-yachts.com/

Arielle di Lella

[email protected]

Crew Placement / Employment Agencies

Education / Captain & Crew Training

Maritime Administration

Regulatory Compliance

Yacht Management

With extensive experience across all aspects of the superyacht industry, our mission is to provide ongoing expert advice and assistance to those involved in owning, operating and managing superyachts.

In addition to its Isle of Man headquarters, Döhle Yachts has offices in the UK, the USA, Guernsey, Monaco and Malta.

Through its dedicated, multidisciplinary and multilingual yacht team, Döhle Yachts provide a knowledgeable, resourceful and reliable approach to the provision of a comprehensive range of services, and is proud to be a trusted and discreet partner to many of the most widely admired yachts in the world.

Login to your account

• Username/Email Address:

Forgot Password? | Sign Up

Reset Password

Already have an account? Login

Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. A password reset link will be sent to you by email.

Signup to your Account

• Candidate I want to discover awesome companies.
• Employer I want to attract the best talent.
• First Name *
• Last Name *
• Confirm Password *
• Organization Name

Account Activation

Before you can login, you must active your account with the code sent to your email address. If you did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. Click here to resend the activation email. If you entered an incorrect email address, you will need to re-register with the correct email address.

• Your Email:
• Activation Code:

Döhle (IOM) Limited

Döhle (IOM) Limited, Döhle Corporate and Trust Services Limited (DCTS) and Döhle Yachts are all part of the Peter Döhle group of companies; a Hamburg based shipping group with five decades of global experience and a continued commitment to providing fast, reliable and efficient services for its valued customers, an ethos evident when dealing with the whole group.

DCTS is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and commenced operation in January 2013, following the merge of licensed corporate service providers Corsiom Limited and Vantage Corporate Services Limited, who had been in operation as early as 2005. 

Döhle Yachts was founded as the large yacht services and support group of Döhle Private Clients Limited, which is part of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG – one of the world’s largest shipping companies employing over 4,800 seafarers on over 450 vessels.

What we do:

Döhle (IOM) Limited offers ship management services, including crew managememnt, technical management, commercial management and commercial management.

Döhle Corporate and Trust Services Limited (DCTS) are a leading independent corporate and fiduciary services’ provider and are specialists in managing corporate and trust structures on behalf of multinational corporations on behalf of high net worth individuals and their professional advisors.

Döhle Yachts supports those involved in owning, operating, crewing and managing superyachts.

Our Core Services:

• Corporate/Trust Services Providers
• Classification, Registration & ISM
• Crew Employment & Payroll
• Private Jets & Helicopters
• Yacht Management

Contact Details:

Other Offices: Germany, Malta, Philippines, Poland, Romania

15th August 2018

Recent Posts

• Isle of Man Registry Welcomes World’s Most Powerful Sailing Cargo Ship
• Setting Sail into a New Era: The Inaugural Journey of Our New Flagship Vessel
• Isle of Man Ship Registry Becomes Member of Seafarer Welfare Charity ISWAN
• Isle of Man Maritime Joins LISW 2023 as Bronze Sponsor 
• Flag Flying Guidance for Isle of Man Ships & Yachts Following the Death of Her Majesty The Queen

Cookies on Companies House services

We use some essential cookies to make our services work.

We'd also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use our services and to make improvements.

You've accepted analytics cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You've rejected analytics cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

We use cookies to make our services work and collect analytics information. To accept or reject analytics cookies, turn on JavaScript in your browser settings and reload this page.

Please press ENTER to search

DÖHLE YACHTS LIMITED

Company number 09860042

• Company Overview for DÖHLE YACHTS LIMITED (09860042)
• Filing history for DÖHLE YACHTS LIMITED (09860042)
• People for DÖHLE YACHTS LIMITED (09860042)
• More for DÖHLE YACHTS LIMITED (09860042)

Next accounts made up to 31 December 2023 due by 30 September 2024

Last accounts made up to 31 December 2022

Confirmation statement

Next statement date 3 November 2024 due by 17 November 2024

Last statement dated 3 November 2023

Nature of business (SIC)

• 70229 - Management consultancy activities other than financial management

Previous company names

UK migrant boat crossings hit 19-month high, adding to pressure on Sunak

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Philippines tells Beijing words must match actions in South China Sea

The Philippines urged China on Wednesday to avoid actions that endanger sailors and vessels in the South China Sea, saying peace could not be achieved if China's words did not match its behaviour in the disputed waters.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Strict asylum rules and poor treatment of migrants are pushing people north to the UK

Strict asylum rules are pushing people across English Channel despite heightened surveillance

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat after being discovered by the police walk back to the town of Ambleteuse, northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

• Copy Link copied

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat after being discovered by the police refuse to return to shore on the beach of Ambleteuse, northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

French police patrol the coastline near the town of Audinghen, northern France, on Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Wrapped in an emergency blanket to regain body heat, a migrant from Iraqi Kurdistan is seen on a street in Ambleteuse, northern France, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, after being spotted by the police while attempting to cross by boat to the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A woman and a child, both Kurdish migrants, rest after a failed attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat, as they were discovered by the police in Ambleteuse, in northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat walk back to the town of Ambleteuse, northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, after being discovered by the police. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat rest on the beach of Ambleteuse, northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024 after being discovered by the police. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat walk back to the town of Ambleteuse, in northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024 after being discovered by the police. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Kurdish migrant who failed in his attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat walks back to the town of Ambleteuse, in northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024 after being discovered by the police. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Migrants eat near a makeshift camp close to Dunkirk, in northern France, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

As cyclists ride by, a group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who were unsuccessful in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat walk back to the town of Ambleteuse in northern France, on Sunday, May 19, 2024 after being discovered by the police. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A group of migrants charge their phones at an abandoned warehouse turned migrant camp in Calais, northern France, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Migrants get their hair cut at an abandoned warehouse turned migrant camp in Calais, northern France, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A migrant prays at an abandoned warehouse turned migrant camp in Calais, northern France, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Personal belongings, including pictures of relatives, are piled next to a water pump as a migrant cleans himself near a makeshift migrant camp close to Dunkirk in northwest France on Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Shoreline by a makeshift migrant camp near Dunkirk, in northern France is seen, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

AMBLETEUSE, France (AP) — The rising tide crept above their waists, soaking the babies they hugged tight. Around a dozen Kurds refused to leave the cold waters of the English Channel in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable: French police had just foiled their latest attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat.

The men, women and children were trapped again on the last frontier of their journey from Iraq and Iran . They hoped that a rubber dinghy would get them to better lives with housing, schooling and work. Now it disappeared on the horizon, only a few of its passengers aboard.

On the beach of the quiet northern French town of Ambleteuse, police pleaded for the migrants to leave the 10-degree-Celsius (50-degree-Fahrenheit) water, so cold it can kill within minutes. Do it for the children’s sake, they argued.

“The boat is go!” an increasingly irritated officer shouted in French-accented English. “It’s over! It’s over!”

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat after being discovered by the police refuse to return to shore on the beach of Ambleteuse, northern France. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The asylum-seekers finally emerged from the sea defeated, but there was no doubt that they would try to reach the U.K. again. They would not find the haven they needed in France, or elsewhere in the European Union.

Europe’s increasingly strict asylum rules, growing xenophobia and hostile treatment of migrants were pushing them north. While the U.K. government has been hostile, too, many migrants have family or friends in the U.K. and a perception they will have more opportunities there.

This story, supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is part of an Associated Press series covering threats to democracy in Europe.

EU rules stipulate that a person must apply for asylum in the first member state they land in. This has overwhelmed countries on the edge of the 27-nation bloc such as Italy, Greece and Spain.

Some migrants don’t even try for new lives in the EU anymore. They are flying to France from as far away as Vietnam to attempt the Channel crossing after failing to get permission to enter the U.K., which has stricter visa requirements.

“No happy here,” said Adam, an Iraqi father of six who was among those caught on the beach in a recent May morning. He refused to provide his last name due to his uncertain legal status in France. He had failed to find schooling and housing for his children in France and had grown frustrated with the asylum office’s lack of answers about his case. He thought things would be better in the U.K., he said.

While the number of people entering the EU without permission is nowhere near as high as during a 2015-2016 refugee crisis, far-right parties across Europe, including in France, have exploited migration to the continent and made big electoral wins in the most recent European Parliamentary elections. Their rhetoric, and the treatment already faced by many people on the French coast and elsewhere in the bloc, clash with the stated principles of solidarity, openness and respect for human dignity that underpin the democratic EU, human rights advocates note.

In recent months, the normally quiet beaches around Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne-Sur-Mer have become the stage of cat-and-mouse games — even violent clashes — between police and smugglers. Police have fired tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets. Smugglers have hurled stones.

While boat crossings across the Channel represent only a tiny fraction of migration to the U.K., France agreed last year to hold migrants back in exchange for hundreds of millions of euros. It’s an agreement akin to deals made between the European Union and North African nations in recent years. And while many people have been stopped by police, they are not offered alternative solutions and are bound to try crossing again.

More than 12,000 people have reached England in small boats in the first five months of the year, 18% more than during the same period last year, according to data published by the U.K.'s Home Office. The Home Office said 882 people arrived in the U.K. in 15 boats on Tuesday, the highest daily total of the year.

The heightened border surveillance is increasing risks and ultimately leading to more deaths, closer to shore, said Salomé Bahri, a coordinator with the nongovernmental organization Utopia 56, which helps migrants stranded in France. At least 20 people have died so far this year trying to reach the U.K., according to Utopia 56. That’s nearly as many as died in all of last year, according to statistics published by the International Organization of Migration.

People are rushing to avoid being caught by authorities and there are more fatalities, Bahri said. In late April, five people died, including a 7-year-old girl who was crushed inside a rubber boat after more than 110 people boarded it frantically trying to escape police.

Authorities in the north of France denied AP’s request for an interview but have previously defended the “life-saving” work of police and blamed violence on smugglers who have also attacked officers.

A spot on a flimsy rubber dinghy can cost between 1,000 to 2,000 euros (around $1,100-$2,200) making it a lucrative business for the smuggling networks led primarily by Iraqi Kurdish groups. They can earn up to $1 million a month (approximately 920,000 euros) according to a report published earlier this year by The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Sitting around a fire in an abandoned warehouse-turned-migrant camp in Calais, Mohammed Osman contemplated his limited options. The 25-year-old Sudanese man was studying medicine in Moscow when the civil war broke out in his home country a year ago . He suspended his dream of becoming a doctor. Forced to flee the fighting , his family could no longer afford to pay for his university fees and Osman was forced to leave Russia, where his visa only allowed him to study, not work. He crossed to Belarus and then to Poland where he says he was pushed back and beaten by Polish guards several times.

Eventually, he made it across the border and reached Germany where he tried to apply for asylum but was ordered to return to Poland, as per EU rules. All he wants now is to finish his medical studies in the U.K., a country whose language he, like many other Sudanese people, already speaks. The issue, as always, is how to get there. Talks of potential deportation to Rwanda have only added more stress and frustration.

“So where is the legal way for me?” he asked. “I am a good person. I know that I can be a good doctor. … So what is the problem?”

In another makeshift camp near Dunkirk that police routinely attempt to clear, more dreams were held in suspense. Farzanee, 28, left Iran to follow her passion: becoming a professional bodybuilder. Back home she was banned from taking part in competitions and persecuted for her sport.

“I was even threatened with my family, that’s why I left my country,” she said, refusing to provide her last name out of fear for her and her loved ones’ safety.

Together with her husband, they managed to get a visa for France with a fake invitation letter. But even on EU soil they fear they could be deported back to Iran and believe only the U.K. to be safe. They have tried — and failed — to board boats to the U.K. “seven or eight times” but have vowed to keep trying until they make it.

“Us and other Iranians like me, we have one thing in common,” explained Farzanee’s husband Mohammad. “When you ask them they will tell you: ‘free life or death.’”

A few days after this interview, Mohammad and his wife Farzanee made it safely to the U.K.

AP videojournalist Ahmad Seir contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration