France is facing growing criticism after new data revealed they’ve only stopped around 8,300 migrants from crossing the English Channel this year, even though the UK has been paying them more than £480,000 every single day to help deal with the issue. In the same time period, over 13,000 people managed to reach the UK by small boat, meaning France is only stopping about 40% of those attempting the journey.
Critics say France isn’t doing enough. Some even described their efforts as “pathetic.” Concerns have been raised that French authorities are still letting people continue their journey across the Channel—even after bodies have been found in the boats. There are calls for France to do what Belgium does: stop the boats while they’re still near the French coast and return the people immediately. That would discourage more migrants from gathering near places like Calais, where many of these journeys begin.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said France is breaking international laws by failing to stop illegal crossings. He believes that if people manage to reach the UK illegally, they should be sent straight to a country outside of Europe, like Rwanda. He also criticized the current UK government, pointing out that over 37,000 migrants have arrived since the last election, making 2025 the worst year ever for illegal crossings.
Tony Smith, who used to be in charge of the UK’s Border Force, said the numbers are disappointing, especially given the large amounts of money Britain is spending to help France with this problem. He also mentioned that France had promised to start stopping boats even in shallow waters, but that hasn’t happened. According to him, it’s unacceptable that boats are being allowed to continue their journeys after people have died in them, and he slammed the French for giving migrants life jackets instead of stopping them from leaving.
In 2023, over 26,000 migrants were stopped by the French, a drop from the 33,000 who were stopped in 2022. A Home Office minister recently claimed 28,000 were intercepted this year, but no official numbers have been released for 2024 yet. Still, the UK has agreed to pay France £480 million in total, with £175 million going to them this financial year alone.
Officials admit that this crisis isn’t going away anytime soon. They say the number of crossings might not go down until at least 2026. The good weather has also made the Channel easier to cross this year, with twice as many “red days” (days when crossing conditions are favorable) compared to last year.
There’s also a noticeable rise in migrants coming from East African countries like Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan. Some believe this increase might be linked to cuts in U.S. foreign aid under Donald Trump, which could be pushing more people to seek new lives in places like the UK.
There’s some hope that things might improve. France is reportedly planning to change its rules so they can start stopping boats in shallow waters by the summer. This could make it harder for smugglers to operate. There’s also talk of a new agreement between the UK and France, where for every migrant returned to France, one asylum seeker with family in the UK would be allowed to join them legally. If this “one-for-one” plan works, it could expand into a wider European deal.
UK officials say they’re pleased that France is finally talking seriously about a return deal after resisting for years. Yvette Cooper, the UK’s Home Secretary, is said to have a good relationship with her French counterpart, Bruno Retailleau. He recently admitted that France needs to do more and suggested that their current policy—where they simply escort migrant boats rather than stop them—needs to change. He wants the French police to be allowed to step in, even in shallow waters, and stop the crossings before they begin.
So far, though, all these changes might be too late to stop 2025 from becoming the worst year ever for Channel crossings.
