Key facts
- French authorities have intercepted 10 small boats in the Channel since spring.
- Maritime officers boarded or controlled vessels at sea, returning asylum seekers to France.
- UK officials attribute the drop in crossings to financing French authorities with £660m.
- Small boat crossings have decreased by 43% year-on-year from January to mid-July.
- Criminal gangs are adapting tactics, using larger boats and launching from further afield.
French authorities have intercepted 10 small boats in the Channel since spring, officials said Friday, countering claims from some political parties that they were refusing to intervene. Maritime Prefect officers were using "intervention tactics" to board or control vessels at sea and return asylum seekers to France.
The disclosure comes as political parties are again focusing on small boat crossings during the summer. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, and Reform MP Lee Anderson had previously claimed French police were allowing crossings. However, Charlie Eastaugh, director of maritime and small boats at Border Security Command, stated that French officers are working tirelessly to disrupt launches before they reach UK shores, including facing violent individuals and arresting smugglers.
Border Force officers were warned of a "Red Day" on Sunday, with conditions suitable for crossings. Two boats attempted to launch from France, but one was intercepted at sea and the other halted on land.
Small boat crossings have decreased by 43% from January to mid-July compared to the same period last year, with 12,469 people crossing this year versus 21,690 last year. UK officials attribute this drop to government initiatives, including financing French authorities with an additional £660m in April, which they believe has disrupted the business model of people smugglers. Gangs are adapting their tactics, with launches spreading further along the coast and some leaving from Belgium or as far south as Dieppe. Officials are also concerned about the trend towards "mega-dinghies," larger motorized boats, which put more people at risk, as evidenced by a rescue of over 170 migrants from a burning boat on Tuesday.
The sustained drop in crossings is a welcome development for Andy Burnham, allowing him to focus on his policy agenda. However, Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, remains cautious about celebrating the decrease, mindful that the trend could change with increased arrivals in the late summer and autumn.