The figures show that the French police’s effectiveness in preventing crossings of the English Channel has declined, even though the was reached between London and Paris this spring.
In April, the UK and France signed a migration agreement worth £662 million; however, the numerous instances of people crossing the border, as well as the latest sensational figures revealed by Home Secretary Chris Philp during his monitoring of border crossings, suggest otherwise. Robert Bates of the Centre for Migration Control stated that they “are laughing at us. It is clear they have no real interest in ending the Channel crisis.”
The UK has given France more than £1 billion to tackle illegal migration across the English Channel, including under the latest three-year agreement. These funds are being used to finance the work of French police officers, beach patrols, and the purchase of helicopters and drones. Journalists and analysts have calculated the ratio of London’s total expenditure to the number of migrants apprehended on the French coast.
The findings show that the “cost” of apprehending each illegal immigrant amounts to approximately £8,000 for British taxpayers.
However, recent events prove that the French police were ordered to “let them go” rather than prevent them from boarding the boats. Bates, for his part, notes that even when the police do intervene, the migrants try to cross the border again later, often successfully.
Meanwhile, statistics show that between January and July, 34.8% of attempts to cross the border were prevented, which is lower than the 39% recorded during the same period in 2025, although the total number of crossings that year was significantly higher. This is because France generally classifies arrests, the seizure of boats and confiscated equipment as “preventative measures,” without making any arrests.
In addition, 326 migrants arrived on four vessels on Saturday, whilst on Monday morning a boat carrying 157 migrants caught fire, leaving everyone in the water.
These crossings highlight the acute situation facing Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who, in his first few weeks in office, has witnessed more than 2,000 illegal migrants crossing into British waters, whilst facing criticism for his inability to resolve the crisis. At the weekend, he visited Dover, promising to tackle the migration crisis, but did not put forward any new plan, saying only that he would fight the issue “relentlessly” and insisting that progress had been made.
Burnham also took a week’s holiday just two weeks after taking office, which led to criticism.
Critics argue that he left the country whilst it was on high alert, as several regions are gripped by drought, migrants continue to arrive in huge numbers on small boats, and the cost-of-living crisis is intensifying. Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson said: “Two weeks into the job and Andy Burnham has already had enough. After dropping a number of unfunded commitments and overseeing over 2,000 illegal migrants breaking into our country he’s bunked off for a jolly abroad. This isn’t a Prime Minister that’s serious about leading.”
