French police stand by and WATCH as smugglers pick up migrants ‘like a taxi service’ while infuriated ministers blast ‘shocking’ scenes at Gravelines beach
Sir Keir Starmer faced a mounting crisis last night after almost 1,200 migrants crossed the Channel in a single day – with one of his own ministers admitting Britain had “lost control” of its borders.
In an extraordinary admission, Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK had lost control over the past five years, as shocking images emerged of French police standing idly by while people smugglers operated a “taxi service” to ferry migrants to British shores.
The damning scenes at Gravelines beach in northern France showed more than half a dozen French officers – some clutching riot shields – simply watching as migrants, including young children, waded into the treacherous waters and scrambled aboard dangerously overloaded inflatable boats.
“Truth is, Britain’s lost control of its borders over the last five years, and the last government last year left an asylum system in chaos and record levels of immigration,” Mr Healey told Sky News, in comments that will prove deeply embarrassing for the Prime Minister.
RECORD-BREAKING SURGE
The latest Home Office figures reveal that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats on Saturday alone, bringing the provisional annual total to a staggering 14,811. This represents:
- A 42% increase compared to the same point last year (10,448)
- A shocking 95% rise from 2023 levels (7,610)
- The highest total EVER recorded for the first five months of any year since records began in 2018
The figures have already surpassed the previous record for the first six months of a year, which stood at 13,489 on June 30 last year. In 2024, crossings didn’t reach 14,000 until July 9.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp branded it a “day of shame for Labour” as he accused the government of having “completely lost control of our borders.
‘LIKE A TAXI SERVICE’
The most damning images came from Gravelines beach, between Calais and Dunkirk, where French police officers were seen watching as migrants, including children, boarded at a beach in broad daylight.
Defence Secretary John Healey expressed his fury at the scenes, telling Sky News: “We saw the smugglers launching elsewhere and coming around like a taxi to pick them up.”
He blasted the footage as “pretty shocking” and said it was a “really big problem” that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters.
French authorities were later pictured actually ESCORTING the boats as they headed out to sea, despite Britain paying France £480 million under a 2023 deal to beef up efforts to stop the crossings.
MINISTER’S BOMBSHELL ADMISSION
In an extraordinary interview, Mr Healey admitted that despite years of agreements and hundreds of millions in payments to France, the authorities there were still not doing enough.
They’re not doing it, but, but for the first time for years, for the first time, we’ve got the level of cooperation needed,” he claimed, though critics questioned what this “cooperation” actually meant given Saturday’s scenes.
The Defence Secretary said ministers were pressing the French to implement new rules that would allow them to intervene once boats were in the water, not just on the shore.
A furious Home Office source said: “We have developed strong co-operation with the French and it is important that they have agreed to disrupt these boats once they’re in the water – and not just on the shore. This vital step now needs to be operationalised to protect border security and save lives.
STARMER UNDER FIRE
The crisis comes just weeks after Sir Keir unveiled tough new immigration measures, vowing to “take back control of our borders” and end what he called Britain’s “failed experiment in open borders.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference in May, the Prime Minister had declared: “That’s not control – it’s chaos. And look, they must answer for themselves, but I don’t think you can do something like that by accident. It was a choice.”
But critics said Saturday’s record-breaking figures showed his promises were already in tatters. The crossings come despite Labour’s pledge to “smash the gangs” operating the deadly trade – a promise that now looks increasingly hollow.
COSTS SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL
The migrant crisis is costing taxpayers billions, with housing asylum seekers in hotels costing over £8 million a day (nearly £3bn a year), according to Home Office figures cited in the House of Lords.
Think tank Policy Exchange estimates the annual cost of the small boats crisis was “in the region of £3.5bn” – equivalent to the cost of 73,000 basic A&E visits.
FRENCH FAILURE
Despite Britain’s massive payments to France, Saturday’s scenes showed French police:
- Standing with hands on hips as migrants boarded boats
- Using mobile phones to film the departures
- Actually escorting boats out to sea
- Failing to intervene even when children were being put at risk
French authorities claimed they rescued 184 people during Saturday’s crossings, but this was a fraction of those who made it to British waters.
POLITICAL FALLOUT
The Conservatives seized on the crisis, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp saying: “This news underlines what we all knew – Keir Starmer has lost control of our borders. This is the worst start to a year in history for illegal crossings. Starmer’s claims to smash the gangs lie in tatters.
He added that having “cancelled the Rwanda deterrent before it started and with no replacement, Starmer’s only plan for border protection is to pray for bad weather.
Even some Labour MPs expressed concern, with one northern England MP warning: “We will be making a big political mistake if we act tough on immigration, but then don’t have a solution” for the small boats.
REFORM UK THREAT
The crisis comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party continues to make gains, with the anti-immigration party scoring victories in recent local elections. Political observers warned that Labour’s failure to control the borders could drive more voters to Reform.
In May, Sir Keir had attempted to steal Reform’s thunder by using Brexit-era language about “taking back control” and warning Britain risked becoming “an island of strangers” without tougher immigration rules.
But Saturday’s scenes suggested his tough talk had failed to translate into action on the beaches of northern France.
YEAR OF RECORDS
The 2025 figures are on course to smash all previous records:
- In 2025, the 10,000 mark of illegal migrants crossing the Channel was reached before the end of April, more than a month earlier than the year before
- Experts predict crossings could reach 85,000 by year’s end
- Since 2018, over 160,000 illegal immigrants have attempted to enter the United Kingdom by crossing the English Channel in small boats
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
But with French police apparently unwilling or unable to act, and crossings at record levels, critics questioned whether Labour had any real plan beyond hoping for bad weather to deter the boats.
As one Tory source put it: “Starmer promised to smash the gangs. Instead, the gangs are making a mockery of him – and Britain is paying the price.
