New patrol boats will intercept dinghies within 300 metres of French beaches ahead of July summit – as record 1,378 migrants crossed in single day while French police watched
France has finally caved to British pressure and agreed to intercept migrant boats at sea in a major breakthrough that could stem the tide of illegal Channel crossings – but only after record numbers have already poured into the UK this year.
In an extraordinary U-turn, French authorities will now target boats within 300 metres of their beaches to stop them leaving for Britain loaded with migrants, sources within the French interior ministry have told The Telegraph.
The dramatic shift comes as Westminster and Paris gear up for the Franco-British summit beginning July 8, when President Emmanuel Macron will travel to London for a state visit – and as pressure mounts over France’s abysmal failure to stop the crossings despite Britain pumping hundreds of millions into their coffers.
Under the new proposals, six new patrol boats will not only rescue migrants from drowning but could also intercept the “taxi boats” before they leave for the UK – something French authorities have stubbornly refused to do until now.
THE ‘TAXI SERVICE’ SCANDAL
The announcement comes after shocking scenes at the weekend saw French police officers standing by and watching as people smugglers operated what critics called a “taxi service” to Britain.
On Saturday alone, a staggering 1,378 migrants attempted to cross the Channel – the highest daily tally so far this year – with French authorities stopping just 184 despite their multi-million pound agreement with Britain.
French police were photographed watching passively as migrants, including children, boarded boats at a beach in Gravelines, between Calais and Dunkirk. Authorities were then pictured actually escorting the boats out to sea.
Defence Secretary John Healey blasted the French failure, telling Sky News: “Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday. It’s a really big problem that French police are unable to intervene to intercept boats in shallow waters.
THE 300-METRE BREAKTHROUGH
A French interior ministry source revealed the scale of the change, telling The Telegraph: “We are aware of the high stakes involved in interventions at sea and of the need to adapt our doctrine of action.”
Today, our intervention can only take place to rescue a boat already at sea, in particular because of the criminal liability issues associated with any interception carried out for any other reason.
Crucially, they added: “We would like to change this framework so that we can operate in shallow waters, up to 300 metres from the coast, and thus intercept ‘taxi boats’, while respecting the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
SPECIALIST FORCES TO BE DEPLOYED
The Telegraph reports that a “compagnie de Marche” of specialist enforcement officers is expected to play a key part in the interceptions – elite units with public order powers similar to those deployed during the Paris Olympics.
This highly specialized force will focus on disrupting organized immigration crime and addressing the increasing violence on French beaches from smuggling gangs.
Defence Secretary Healey confirmed: “They’re not doing it, but for the first time for years... we’ve got the level of cooperation needed. We’ve got the agreement that they will change the way they work.”
RECORD NUMBERS EXPOSE FRENCH FAILURE
The French capitulation comes as damning statistics reveal the scale of their failure to honor previous agreements:
- France has intercepted just 38% of boats this year – DOWN from 45% in 2024 and 47% in 2023
- There were 60 “red days” between January and April this year when crossings were highly likely – more than DOUBLE the 27 red days in the same period last year
- Some 14,812 Channel migrants have already arrived on UK shores this year
- 9,000 crossings have been prevented from the French coastline – but thousands more got through
SUMMIT PRESSURE
The timing is no coincidence. With Macron due in London for the July 8 Franco-British summit, the French president clearly wants to avoid a humiliating confrontation with Sir Keir Starmer over the crisis.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed she has been in urgent communication with her French counterpart Bruno Retailleau, who in February said he intended to amend French law to allow police to intervene within 300 metres of the coastline.
The French interior minister and the French cabinet have now agreed their rules need to change,” Cooper told the House of Commons. “A French maritime review is looking at what new operational tactics they will use, and we are urging France to complete this review and implement the changes as swiftly as possible.”
THE £480 MILLION QUESTION
Britain has a £480 million deal with France designed to stop Channel crossings – yet until now, French authorities have claimed their hands were tied by laws preventing them from intervening once boats were in the water.
Critics have long argued this was simply an excuse for French inaction, with Conservative MP Chris Philp slamming the “lamentably under 40%” French prevention rate on land.
An Early Day Motion in Parliament has even called for Britain to suspend its fishing deal with the EU until France upholds its promises.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?
While the French agreement is being hailed as a breakthrough, officials are pessimistic about bringing numbers down this year, with measures not expected to start paying off until 2026.
A Home Office spokesman admitted: “This Government is restoring grip to the broken asylum system it inherited that saw a whole criminal smuggling enterprise allowed to develop, where gangs have been able to exploit periods of good weather to increase the rate of crossings for too long.
For the thousands who have already made the perilous journey while French police stood by and watched, this agreement comes far too late.
But as Macron prepares for his London visit, at least Britain can finally say it has forced France to act – even if it took the threat of summit humiliation to make it happen.
Image credit: Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets President Emmanuel Macron (53956069643) by UK Government, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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