At least 400 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Friday morning, dealing a fresh blow to the Government’s troubled “one in, one out” returns scheme with France that has managed to deport just two individuals in nine days of operation.
The mass crossing came after a week of rough seas prevented any attempts, with people smugglers launching multiple dinghies from beaches around Calais and Dunkirk at first light. GB News witnessed chaotic scenes as French police stood by whilst migrants, including young children wearing arm bands and flotation devices, waded through waist-high water to board overcrowded vessels.
One inflatable dinghy packed with young men departed from Gravelines beach, north-east of Calais, at daybreak. In the pre-dawn darkness around 5.30am, a group of 40 men suddenly emerged from a quiet side street in the town centre, carrying an inflatable boat over their heads before launching it into a canal as police officers watched from the bank.
Failed Returns Programme
The mass crossings represent a humiliating setback for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who just days ago promised that returns to France would begin “imminently” under the landmark UK-France treaty that came into force on 6 August. An Eritrean man who lost a High Court bid to halt his removal was on a flight that departed Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday, marking only the second successful deportation since the scheme began.
“These small boats crossings are utterly unacceptable and the vile people smugglers behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders,” Mahmood said earlier this month. “Thanks to our deal with France, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France and I expect the first returns to take place imminently.”
The reality has proved far different. Despite nearly six weeks since Sir Keir Starmer’s much-vaunted “one in, one out” agreement with President Emmanuel Macron came into force, the Government has managed just two deportations. Legal challenges have repeatedly frustrated removal attempts, with judges blocking deportations on various grounds including modern slavery claims made at the eleventh hour.
Trump’s Military Intervention Comments
The crisis coincided with extraordinary remarks from US President Donald Trump during his state visit to Britain, where he urged Prime Minister Starmer to deploy the military to halt Channel crossings. Speaking at a joint press conference at Chequers on Thursday, Trump warned that illegal immigration “destroys countries from within.
You have people coming in, and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use,” Trump declared, highlighting how Britain faced similar challenges to America with unauthorised border crossings.
Cabinet minister Peter Kyle responded diplomatically on Friday morning, telling the BBC: “Well, what he suggested was the military are used, but we have the UK Border Force that is now established and has been reinforced and bolstered and have new powers under this Government. The Navy actually does have a working relationship with the UK Border Force, and the Navy can be called upon if needed.
Shocking Scenes on French Beaches
The scenes in northern France on Friday morning exposed the apparent inability of French authorities to prevent departures despite British funding for enhanced patrols. Earlier in the night, witnesses observed a group of men forming a human chain to help haul people out of thick mud after a failed boat launch attempt in a canal.
A British tourist walking along the Gravelines seafront expressed outrage at the lack of intervention. “Where are the police? They’re doing nothing,” he said, adding he was “never coming back to France.”
The crossings marked the first significant movement across the Channel following nine days of strong winds and rough seas that had prevented attempts. Border Force vessels were mobilised to intercept the boats, with migrants being brought to Dover for processing throughout Friday morning.
Record Numbers and Rising Costs
The latest crossings push the total number of arrivals for 2025 past 31,000, according to Home Office figures – a 40 per cent increase compared to the same period last year when 22,440 had crossed. The surge comes despite Labour’s promise to “smash the gangs” responsible for people smuggling operations.
Recent data from the National Crime Agency shows arrests for organised immigration crime have actually declined under Labour, with 192 arrests in the year to April 2025, down from 229 in the same period the previous year under the Conservatives.
The financial burden on taxpayers continues to mount. Housing asylum seekers in hotels costs over £8 million daily, nearly £3 billion annually, according to Lord Davies of Gower speaking in the House of Lords in January. The think tank Policy Exchange estimates the total annual cost of the small boats crisis at approximately £3.5 billion.
Legal Obstacles Mount
The Government’s struggles with the France returns scheme mirror the challenges faced by the previous Conservative administration’s Rwanda plan. Courts have entertained various last-minute legal challenges, with migrants claiming modern slavery protections just before scheduled removals.
“Last-minute attempts to frustrate a removal are intolerable and I will fight them at every step,” Mahmood said this week after a judge blocked one deportation. “Migrants suddenly deciding that they are a modern slave on the eve of their removal, having never made such a claim before, make a mockery of our laws and this country’s generosity.”
The Home Office has announced it will appeal court decisions blocking removals and has commenced a rapid review of modern slavery legislation to prevent its misuse. However, critics argue the “one in, one out” scheme is fundamentally flawed, as it requires Britain to accept a migrant from France with family ties to the UK for every person returned.
Criminal Concerns
Adding to public anxiety, investigations have revealed at least 312 migrants placed in taxpayer-funded hotel accommodation have been charged with 708 criminal offences over the past three years, including rape, sexual assault, burglary, assault on emergency workers, and drug-related crimes. This data covered only 70 of approximately 220 hotels used to house asylum seekers.
In May 2025, counter-terrorism police raided several migrant hotels across England, arresting five Iranian nationals linked to an alleged terror plot, highlighting security concerns around the accommodation system.
Government Response Under Pressure
The Labour Government faces mounting pressure as its flagship immigration policy appears to be failing. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the situation, stating: “15,000 illegal Channel crossings and it’s only June. 2025 is the worst year ever for small boat crossings so far. While traffickers and criminal gangs rake in millions, Labour Ministers stand in Westminster rehearsing soundbites. This is a total collapse of border control.”
Despite the setbacks, government officials maintain the France agreement represents progress. The treaty allows the UK to detain and rapidly remove people who enter illegally via small boats, theoretically blocking their access to the UK asylum system and reducing dependence on costly hotel accommodation.
French authorities claim they are increasing enforcement activity, with a new specialist unit of enforcement officers and enhanced intelligence operations in Dunkirk. However, Friday’s mass crossings suggest these measures have had limited impact on preventing departures.
Dangerous Journeys Continue
The Channel remains one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, making crossings in overcrowded dinghies extremely perilous. This year has already seen 73 deaths attempting the crossing, more than in all previous years combined, according to recent data.
On 6 September 2025, the UK recorded its first “uncontrolled landing” since December 2022, where an unescorted migrant boat reached British shores without interception, raising concerns about border security capabilities.
As winter approaches and weather conditions worsen, the pressure on both governments to find effective solutions intensifies. With legal challenges mounting, costs spiralling, and public patience wearing thin, the Channel crisis shows no signs of abating despite political promises from both sides of the Channel.
The Government insists it remains committed to disrupting criminal smuggling networks and establishing safe, legal routes for genuine asylum seekers. However, with just two successful returns to France after weeks of operation and hundreds continuing to cross daily when weather permits, critics argue the current approach is failing to deliver meaningful results.
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Image Credit:
Linkspan bridge – Tug Haven, Dover — photo by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, licensed UK Open Government Licence v3.0
