Three Ways France Has Tightened Its Own Borders While Britain Faces the Small-Boat Migrant Crisis Despite Paying France £660 Million

France has named illegal migration as one of the main reasons for introducing tougher border controls.

Britain has paid France £660 million to strengthen border security, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham has still struggled to control the small-boats crisis. Migrants are reportedly arriving at a faster daily rate than they did under former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

GB News has highlighted three ways France has tightened its own borders while Britain continues to receive migrants crossing the English Channel.

First, France has brought back checks along all its internal Schengen borders. The current controls run from May 1 until October 31 and cover land, air and sea borders with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.

French officials said illegal migration, migrant-smuggling gangs, terrorism and organised crime were among the reasons for these checks.

The Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, rejected concerns raised by several French organisations. It ruled that the border checks were justified because of serious threats to public order and national security, including terrorism and criminal gangs helping migrants travel illegally through northern France.

France has also introduced particularly strict controls along its border with Italy.

In May 2025, former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told the French Senate that more border police, customs officers, gendarmes and soldiers had been sent to the area. An additional riot-police unit was also deployed.

France carries out joint patrols with Italy and can formally send migrants back if they are caught after crossing the Italian border illegally. Mr Retailleau said France had effectively “locked down” the Alpes-Maritimes area near Italy.

France uses similar return agreements at its border with Spain. According to the former Interior Minister, Spain accepted 66 per cent of France’s requests to take migrants back. A similar system operates with Italy.

French border officers can also refuse entry to anyone who does not meet the legal requirements, such as people without a valid passport or visa.

However, France does not have the same type of return arrangement with Britain. Instead, the two countries use the one-in, one-out migrant agreement.

Since becoming Prime Minister on July 20, Andy Burnham has reportedly overseen 3,003 small-boat arrivals. GB News said his average stood at around 130 arrivals per day during his first 22 days in office.

Sir Keir Starmer reportedly recorded 77,183 small-boat arrivals during his time as Prime Minister, with a lower daily average of around 103.