French police wade into the small boats battle

John Simpson

Home affairs editor

French police wade into the small boats battle

Small boats crossing the Channel will be intercepted for the first time under new laws proposed by French ministers

Last Tuesday, police in riot gear waded into the sea at Gravelines beach, between Dunkirk and Calais, to fire tear gas at asylum seekers. Undeterred by the gas, batons and shields, people pushed past officers to clamber into waiting dinghies.

The UK government has piled pressure on French authorities to stop the crossings. Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron met last week in Ottawa, Canada, ahead of the G7 summit, to discuss a situation that No 10 said was “deteriorating”. According to the Home Office, 16,545 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2025 – a 45% increase on the same period last year.

The increasingly militarised response has been condemned by human rights groups, which say that smuggling gangs are taking greater risks and packing more people on to boats. At least 73 people died making the crossing last year, and there are concerns that intercepting overcrowded boats will risk more deaths.

A father carries his child into the English Channel at sunrise from the beach at Gravelines in northern France

By law, French authorities can intervene to save migrants only if they face life-threatening danger at sea. The change in rules would allow authorities to intercept a small boat up to 300 metres from shore, regardless of whether it was at risk.

Downing Street said in a statement that Channel crossings should be a key focus at a UK-France summit scheduled for next month next month. “The days of Britain being a soft touch for these gangs are over,” it said.