A Home Office spokesperson said:
“This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings.
“The Home Secretary has signed a landmark new deal with France to boost enforcement action on beaches and put people smugglers behind bars. This builds on joint work that has stopped over 42,000 illegal migrants attempting to cross the channel since the election.
“We have removed or deported almost 60,000 people who were here illegally and are going further to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to this country.”
Background:
- The new UK-France deal to tackle illegal crossings will deliver:
- Surge of boots on the ground: French beaches will now see a 40% increase in law enforcement, intelligence and military officers to track down and stop illegal migrants boarding boats.
- New riot police unit: Currently law enforcement lacks some of the specialist skills required to contain and disperse groups of illegal migrants on beaches. The French will deploy a new unit of 50 police officers specially trained in the use of riot and crowd control tactics and equipment to deal with hostile crowds, violent tactics and stop illegal migrants in their tracks.
- Expanded intelligence and judicial police unit: The intelligence work of this unit of 18 people led to the arrest of 480 people smugglers in 2025. The unit will expand to 30 specialists to ramp up arrests and prosecute people smugglers across the region.
- Enhanced surveillance capabilities: The French will now roll out millions of pounds worth of drone surveillance, two new helicopters and a new camera surveillance system will track down and intercept people smugglers and illegal migrants.
- Expansion of maritime tactics to target taxi boats: In the last two months, the French have stopped six migrant taxi boats, returning all migrants to France and sentencing five smugglers to prison and deportation. The French will now roll out these tactics with a new vessel and an increase of more than 20 additional maritime officers to target taxi boats picking up migrants in the channel.
- Further details on the UK-France deal can be found here: New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings - GOV.UK
- The Home Secretary laid new measures in Parliament on Thursday 5th March which will remove support payments and accommodation for asylum seekers who illegally work, have the ability to support themselves, have the right to work, or have broken the law.
- Refugee status will now become temporary and subject to review every 30 months for all adults claiming asylum.
- Nearly 60,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals have been removed or deported from the UK since the 2024 election. More than 15,200 illegal migrants were deported and forcibly removed in that same period, a 45% increase on the 19 months prior. Deportations of foreign national offenders including murderers and rapists are up 32%, with more than 8,700 deported since government came into power.
- Our landmark one-in-one-out scheme means we can now send those who arrive on small boats back to France.
- Under the Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act, we are taking on the gangs with stronger powers to disable criminal activity faster. Officers are now able to seize electronic devices like mobile phones, suspected of containing information about organised immigration crime.
- 2022 saw the worst year on record for small boat crossings when over 45,000 people arrived in the UK via small boat.