Burak Bir
21 August 2026•Update: 21 August 2026
French police units prevented 185 small boat crossing events involving more than 4,300 migrant attempts to reach the UK during the first three months of a new deal between the two countries, the British government said Friday.
In a statement, the Home Office said French units funded by the UK under the landmark UK-France deal had hit the ground running during their first three months of operations.
According to information provided by French authorities, officers prevented 185 small boat crossing events between April 27 and Aug. 2, the Home Office said, adding that the measures included stopping launches, seizing equipment such as boats, engines and life jackets, and arresting smugglers.
“This means 61% of all small boat events were stopped across this time, an increase in the event prevention rate of nearly 5% compared to the same time period in 2025,” the Home Office said.
Citing French data, the statement also said that during the three months since the deal was signed, there were four weeks in which French authorities intercepted every potential crossing event, achieving a prevention rate of 100%.
“Action taken also directly prevented over 4,300 crossing attempts, stopping migrants from reaching UK shores – with potentially hundreds more crossing attempts stopped before they could even reach French beaches.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Our new UK-France deal is already having a real impact, stopping crossings before they happen and disrupting the criminal gangs behind them.”
She added: “Through our joint work with France, we have stopped over 47,000 small boat crossing attempts since the election and we will not let up.”
The UK and France signed a new deal in April to strengthen efforts to combat irregular migration in northern France and prevent crossings to Britain, backed by a significant increase in dedicated personnel, technology and intelligence resources.
As of Aug. 10, more than 14,800 people had reached the UK by small boat this year, according to provisional Home Office data cited by the BBC, representing a 43% year-on-year drop and a 16% decline compared with the same period in 2024.
