Overview
- More than 23,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel by small boat so far in 2025, surpassing previous records for this point in the year.
- French coastguard images show officers distributing lifejackets and water to overcrowded dinghies departing Gravelines beach, raising questions about enforcement priorities.
- French riot police engaged in clashes with migrants and suspected smugglers in gravel-strewn confrontations, deploying tear gas after being pelted with petrol bombs.
- The UK and France are set to launch a one-in-one-out pilot scheme imminently, aiming to return up to 800 Channel arrivals to France by year’s end in exchange for 800 legal UK arrivals.
- Investigations and smuggler footage reveal a transnational supply chain that assembles boats in Turkey, transports them through Germany and stores them in warehouses before Channel crossings.