US EditionHome Secretary Hails Work with French to Stop Small Boat Crossings
PAS-DE-CALAIS REGION, FRANCE, JUL 5 – French police have introduced jet skis and nets to jam migrant boats' propellers as part of new tactics amid record Channel crossings, with 21,117 migrants reaching the UK so far in 2025.
- The UK saw over 21,000 migrants cross the English Channel by small boats in the first half of 2025, reaching this number earlier than ever before.
- This surge followed the 2022 cancellation of a plan to redirect migrants using personal watercraft and restrictions on French police interfering beyond 10 feet from the coast.
- French police have adopted new tactics including slashing migrant boats and deploying nets designed to jam propellers, supported by UK authorities as part of joint efforts to reduce crossings.
- In the week to July 5, 2,599 migrants successfully crossed to Britain while French forces stopped 191, highlighting challenges in border control enforcement.
- UK and French leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, are set to discuss immigration cooperation at a summit later this week to improve joint migration controls.
21 Articles
21 Articles
French police are slashing migrant boats but they’re still determined to reach the UK
ECAULT BEACH, France (AP) — Across the English Channel, the white cliffs of the U.K beckon. On fine days, men and women with children in their arms and determination in their eyes can see the shoreline of what they believe…
French police are slashing boats but migrants are still determined to reach the UK
ECAULT BEACH, France (AP) — Across the English Channel, the U.K.’s white cliffs beckon. On fine days, men and women with children in their arms and determination in their eyes can see the shoreline of what they believe will be a promised land as they attempt the perilous crossing clandestinely, ditching belongings to squeeze aboard […]
Inept French cops let four times as many migrants cross Channel than they stop
NEARLY four times as many small-boat migrants made it to Britain in one recent week than the French managed to stop, it emerged yesterday. A total of 703 crossed the Channel in the seven days to June 29 — while French cops stopped just 191. AFPShocking new Home Office data shows 2,599 migrants made it to Britain in the week to July 5 (stock picture)[/caption] GettyA total of 703 crossed the Channel in the seven days to June 29 — while French co…
The BBC has broadcast a video showing French gendarmes who are tearing down an inflatable ship of migrants, while they are preparing to attempt a crossing of the Channel from a beach near Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais. Officially, the law enforcement forces are not allowed to intervene once the boat is at sea, for security reasons. The associations denounce an inhuman act. But the Ministry of the Interior emphasises that these men have rather …
The video, shot in the Pas-de-Calais and broadcast on Friday 4 July by the BBC, accredits the idea of a change in the framework of intervention, on the French side, during the interception of ships in the coastal strip.
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