French authorities have intervened to stop small migrant boats in the English Channel 10 times since spring, according to UK officials, challenging claims that French officers are routinely allowing vessels carrying asylum seekers to leave their shores.
Officials said French maritime authorities have used intervention tactics to board, control or stop vessels at sea and return migrants to France when necessary.
The disclosure comes amid renewed political pressure in the United Kingdom over small boat crossings, with opposition parties accusing France of failing to prevent migrants from reaching the English Channel.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp recently confronted French police officers on a beach near Boulogne and shared footage online of an officer appearing to say that their instructions were to allow migrants to leave while warning them about the dangers.
Reform MP Lee Anderson also visited Calais earlier this week and accused French police of effectively allowing migrants to board boats bound for Britain.
However, Charlie Eastaugh, director of maritime and small boats at the UK’s Border Security Command, strongly rejected the suggestion that French authorities are doing little to prevent crossings.
He said images showing officers standing near migrants or boats could give a misleading impression when viewed without the wider context of operations taking place along the French coast.
According to UK officials, French officers have been working to prevent launches, disperse large groups, arrest suspected smugglers and seize equipment used by trafficking networks. Officers have also reportedly faced violent confrontations with people carrying weapons while attempting to disrupt crossings.
Authorities say individual incidents involving migrants and suspected smugglers are assessed carefully, with commanders and officers expected to balance the safety of police personnel against the risks to migrants, members of the public and people-smuggling gangs.
The latest figures come as the UK government continues its efforts to reduce Channel crossings through increased cooperation with France.
On one recent day described by UK officials as a “red day” because calm weather created favourable conditions for small boat journeys, two vessels attempted to leave the French coast. One was intercepted at sea while the other was stopped before it could launch.
Overall, the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats has fallen significantly compared with last year. Between January and mid-July, 12,469 people crossed to the UK, compared with 21,690 during the same period in 2025 — a decline of approximately 43 percent.
The reduction has occurred despite unusually hot and dry summer conditions, which have traditionally provided more favourable opportunities for migrants attempting the dangerous crossing.
British officials believe increased funding for French authorities is contributing to the decline. The UK committed a further £660 million in April as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement and disrupt the operations of people-smuggling gangs in northern France.
However, criminal networks are adapting to the increased pressure. Authorities say smugglers are increasingly launching boats from locations farther along the French coastline, while some vessels have reportedly departed from Belgium.
Some crossings are now beginning as far south as Dieppe, around 113 kilometres from the UK, compared with the much shorter journey between Calais and Dover.
Officials are also increasingly concerned about the use of larger, motorised “mega-dinghies”, which can carry significantly more people but could create even greater risks when they encounter mechanical problems or bad weather.
Those concerns were highlighted earlier this week when 173 migrants were rescued after an overcrowded boat caught fire while attempting to cross the Channel. The passengers were taken safely to France, although several suffered minor injuries.
The continuing decline in crossings represents an early political boost for Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government, but ministers remain cautious about declaring victory.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has avoided celebrating the fall in arrivals, warning that the trend could change as summer progresses and crossings potentially increase again during late summer and autumn.
The latest figures suggest that cooperation between Britain and France is having an impact on Channel crossings, but the changing tactics of smuggling gangs and the continued use of increasingly crowded vessels mean the migration route remains a major challenge for both countries.