French police ramp up boat seizures, intercept 185 small‑boat crossings

French police tactics are proving increasingly effective in stopping small boats in the English Channel from reaching Britain, according to the Home Office. Authorities have credited French police with intercepting 185 potential crossings involving 4,300 migrants over four separate weeks this summer, alongside stopping 12 boats at sea using new techniques.

Footage released by the Border Security Command shows officers racing across a beach in jeeps to intercept a launch. Migrants wearing life jackets can be seen reaching for stones to throw at the officers during the confrontation. An officer then responds with pepper spray before slashing the abandoned inflatable boat lengthways with a knife.

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The Home Office stated that 61 percent of small boats have been intercepted since the UK-France deal was struck three months ago, representing a five percent increase compared to last year. The agreement, struck in April under the Starmer government, allocates 501 million pounds over three years to strengthen operations in northern France alongside 161 million pounds for new approaches. Additional police units, including a 50-person riot squad, have been deployed to French beaches.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:

"Our new UK-France deal is already having a real impact, stopping crossings before they happen and disrupting the criminal gangs behind them."

Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary, via UK News Yahoo

Previously, French authorities allowed most dinghies to head toward the UK once launched due to the risks of intercepting them in deep water while loaded with people. Charlie Eastaugh, director of maritime and small boats at the Border Security Command, told the BBC that French authorities prevented all three boats that attempted to cross on a single recent Thursday, noting that two were prevented at sea and one on land.

Eastaugh also stated:

"French officers are not shy in taking bold action to prevent these launches where it is safe and lawful to do so. They work in difficult and dangerous conditions to stop boats launching, seize equipment and disperse large migrant groups as well as saving thousands of lives at sea."

Charlie Eastaugh, Border Security Command, via UK News Yahoo

Efforts have also targeted the supply chain of equipment. Police in Germany have seized dinghies, outboard engines, and life preservers, while boats have been discovered buried on beaches and inside cars heading for the coast. With less equipment available, smuggling gangs have increasingly resorted to using larger vessels. A record 230 people were recently intercepted travelling in a single mega-dinghy, following an incident in late July where a 13-metre dinghy carrying 165 migrants was towed into Dover.

Political reactions to the figures remain divided. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp dismissed the announcement as a joke, arguing that Channel crossing preventions are down by half over the past year and asserting that a proper deterrent is necessary. Reform UK has separately proposed using the Royal Navy to intercept and return migrants to French ports. The French interior ministry responded that such a plan would constitute a violation of French sovereignty, maritime law, and international law.

Government figures indicate that 15,897 migrants have crossed the Channel this year, marking a 43 percent decrease compared to the same time last year and an 18 percent drop from the same point previously. Despite these reductions, arrivals continue during spells of favourable weather, as demonstrated by 425 migrants crossing on five boats during a three-day period.