French authorities have agreed to a new, controversial approach in the ongoing struggle to curb illegal migration across the English Channel—a move that has ignited fierce debate on both sides of the water. According to documents obtained by Le Monde and corroborated by multiple British outlets, French maritime police will now intercept small boats at sea in an attempt to prevent migrants from making the perilous crossing to the United Kingdom. But there’s a catch: these interceptions will only happen before any migrants have boarded the vessels, a limitation that critics say undermines the entire effort.
The policy shift comes after months of mounting pressure from the UK government, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally appealing to French President Emmanuel Macron. In a leaked letter quoted by French media and confirmed by the Daily Mail, Starmer wrote, "It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel." The urgency in Starmer’s words reflects the scale of the challenge: since 2018, more than 60,000 migrants have arrived in Britain via dinghy, with over 20,000 crossings prevented in 2025 alone, according to UK government figures cited by the Evening Standard.
The new Franco-British agreement, formalized in a document signed by four prefectures in northern France on November 25, 2025, instructs the Maritime Gendarmerie to conduct "planned operations" at sea. These operations will target inflatable boats intended to transport migrants to England, focusing primarily on ports and channels such as Gravelines—a hotspot between Calais and Dunkirk where, as the Daily Mail observed, boats are often launched in the early hours, sometimes carrying dozens of people at a time.
Yet, the nature of these operations is strictly circumscribed. French security forces are authorized to intercept boats only before they pick up any passengers. As a spokesperson for the Maritime Gendarmerie told the BBC, "dinghies would only be stopped at sea before picking up passengers." The officers will employ "graduated and reversible measures covering a spectrum ranging from an order to stop, to immobilising the boats, to diverting them, and to handing the individuals over to the authorities." Notably, the use of nets or slashing the boats—tactics previously rumored—has been ruled out. Safety, the leaked document insists, is "the absolute and unwavering priority."
French police unions and naval officers have voiced serious reservations. A source from the Alliance police union told the Daily Mail, "People don’t seem to realise how dangerous it is to try and carry out arrests at sea, while trying to force a boat to change course. If there are eighty people on an overcrowded boat, including women and children, then it is extremely dangerous to try to stop them." A senior French Navy officer added, "Disaster, including drownings, can easily happen." These concerns are not merely theoretical: France had previously refused to intervene against dinghies or migrants in even ankle-deep water, citing the risk of drowning.
The UK government, for its part, has highlighted the importance of close cooperation with French authorities. A No 10 spokesperson stated, "We continue to work closely with our French partners on the shared challenge of illegal migration, and we have already worked to ensure officers in France review their maritime tactics so they can intervene in the shallow waters." This ongoing collaboration includes the "one in, one out" pilot scheme introduced in August 2025, under which people arriving in the UK by small boat can be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equivalent number of individuals applying through safe and legal routes. According to the Home Office, 153 migrants have been sent back to France under this agreement, while 134 have arrived in the UK.
Despite these efforts, critics argue that the new French commitment falls far short of what is needed. An editorial in the Newsletter did not mince words, calling France’s promise to stop boats only if they are empty "a weak and ineffective response to the UK immigration crisis." The editorial went on to describe the move as "barely an ask at all," highlighting that French authorities will act only if the boats have not yet picked up their passengers. The editorial also pointed to the UK’s previous £500 million pledge to France under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, noting that crossings have continued to rise regardless.
Political opponents have seized on the issue. Starmer’s government, which scrapped the Conservative plan to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda in favor of a more limited returns policy, has faced criticism for failing to deliver a credible deterrent. The Daily Mail reported that only 153 migrants have been deported back to France so far, with at least two returning to England almost immediately. Meanwhile, the number of arrivals in 2025 has already surpassed the yearly totals for 2023 and 2024, though it remains below the peak set in 2022.
Charities and human rights advocates have also weighed in, warning that even the limited sea interceptions proposed by France could endanger lives. Care4Calais, a group supporting migrants, condemned the move as "dangerous" and "life-threatening." The group’s concerns echo those of French police unions, who fear that any attempt to stop overcrowded boats at sea could result in tragedy.
On the ground in northern France, the practicalities of enforcement remain unclear. The Daily Mail noted that in places like Gravelines, people smugglers’ so-called "taxi boats" are often launched on canals a mile inland before dawn. The boats, typically 30 feet long, require a dozen men to carry them to the water, who then board immediately. Whether French authorities will be able to intercept these vessels while they are still empty—or if smugglers will simply adapt their tactics—remains to be seen.
Adding to the complexity, the past week has seen no recorded dinghy crossings due to high winds, with bad weather serving as the only effective barrier. UK border security commander Martin Hewitt, speaking to MPs last month, described the delay in implementing the new rules as "frustrating." He emphasized the need for effective deterrents, echoing the sentiments expressed in Starmer’s letter to Macron.
As the debate rages on, the stakes remain high for both governments. For France, the challenge is to balance humanitarian concerns with pressure from the UK and its own public. For Britain, the question is whether this latest agreement will finally deliver the "effective deterrent" that has so far proved elusive—or if, as critics contend, it’s just another round of "tinkering around the edges of a broken system."
With winter storms temporarily halting crossings, policymakers have a brief window to see if the new approach can make a difference. But with tens of thousands still risking the dangerous journey each year, the Channel crisis is far from resolved—and both sides know the world is watching.
