France's Milestone in Controlling Migrant Boat Crossings to the UK

Tue Jan 20 2026 23:25:32 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

France has conducted its first maritime interception of illegal migrant crossings to the UK, marking a pivotal shift in its approach to tackle small boat smuggling operations.

In a significant development, French authorities have executed their first interception targeting small boats used for illegal crossings to the UK. The operation, which took place on January 20, involved boarding a 'taxi-boat' in the Aa canal, a tactical response to increased pressure from the UK government. This marks a departure from previous tactics focused solely on land-based interventions. The change aims to disrupt organized smuggling operations that have seen rising numbers of migrants reaching the UK.

French officials have made their first interception on the water as part of a new policy aimed at stopping small boats carrying illegal migrants to the UK.

A so-called taxi-boat was boarded by French officers on Saturday on the Aa canal in Gravelines, which is on the Channel coast above Calais.

This follows a change of tactics agreed in November following growing pressure from the UK government to step up interventions. A photograph of the aftermath of the operation obtained by the BBC shows a number of men - apparently people-smugglers - on an inflatable dinghy with the police launch alongside, the inflatable being towed to the dockside.

The French maritime prefecture declined to comment to the BBC, citing an ongoing judicial investigation regarding the small boat.

France agreed to the new tactics at a summit in the UK last July between President Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer. Until then, French police had only intervened to stop small boats as they were being prepared for launch on beaches. Intervening at sea was judged to be too dangerous.

However, smugglers' gangs adapted by using taxi-boats that enter the water at a distance and then travel along the coast to pick up groups of migrants. An official French document indicated that this method had proven highly effective, achieving an 81% success rate in 2025.

The total number of migrants arriving in the UK from France increased from 36,566 in 2024 to 41,472 last year, though this figure remains lower than the peak of 45,774 recorded in 2022.

Following the July 2025 agreement to begin on-water interventions, there were initial delays due to concerns about the risks to life and potential legal repercussions for officers involved in such operations. These concerns appear to have been addressed now, as gendarmes will only intervene to stop taxi-boats before they take on migrants, rather than once they are fully loaded.

This protocol was reportedly followed in Saturday's operation. Police suspected the inflatable, which was moving toward the sea, was about to pick up migrants, prompting their intervention to apprehend the individuals onboard.