Overview
- French police stand by as migrants, including children, board overloaded dinghies because intervention once boats are afloat is legally barred.
- The UK has provided £476 million to French border forces under a 2023 agreement to stop small boats, but crossings continue to rise.
- Channel crossings have risen sharply, with almost 15,000 arrivals this year and ten reported drownings as weather conditions improve.
- London is urging Paris to amend its operational policy so maritime units can intervene in shallow waters before dinghies set off.
- French interior minister Bruno Retailleau has proposed extending gendarmerie powers to intercept boats within 300 meters, and both governments are exploring new tactics.