UK Criticized for Insufficient Cooperation on Channel Migrant Crossings

French report claims lack of usable information from UK, while Britain disputes the findings, citing outdated data.

France's Court of Accounts has criticized the UK for not sufficiently coordinating with France to reduce the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The report claims that the UK does not provide usable information on the departures of small boats, and gives very general, first-level information that has not been counter-checked.
The UK Home Office disputes the report, stating it is based on outdated information and doesn't accurately represent the current working relationship, including intelligence sharing, with France.
The UK Defense Ministry estimated that crossings of the English Channel by boat increased by at least 58% between 2021 and 2022, a year that saw over 45,000 migrants arrive on British shores.
The British government announced that the number of migrants crossing fell by more than a third in 2023, to just over 29,000, though whether government action or bad weather is the reason is debated.