The effectiveness of French efforts to stop small boat Channel crossings has significantly declined since Labour's controversial returns agreement with President Emmanuel Macron's government came into force, new figures reveal.
Sharp Drop in Prevention Rates
Official statistics show that French authorities have prevented just 28.7 per cent of migrant crossing attempts since the 'one in, one out' deal became operational in August. This represents a substantial decrease from the 38 per cent interception rate recorded during the equivalent 13-week period immediately before the agreement.
The raw numbers demonstrate an even starker picture. French patrols stopped 8,521 crossing attempts in the 13 weeks before the deal, but this figure plummeted to just 4,635 interceptions in the 13 weeks following its implementation - a dramatic 45 per cent reduction in prevention efforts.
Arrivals and Weather Factors
During the same comparative periods, the number of migrant arrivals in Britain decreased from 13,920 to 11,518, representing a 17 per cent decline. While authorities initially pointed to poor weather conditions, particularly high winds last month, the disproportionate drop in prevention rates suggests other factors are influencing the situation.
This year has already witnessed the second-highest annual number of Channel crossings since the small boats crisis began in 2018, despite the UK providing hundreds of millions of pounds to France for enhanced beach security operations.
Political Fallout and Legal Challenges
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the figures, stating: "Preventing only a quarter of embarkation attempts is pathetic. We have seen 2,000 illegal immigrants cross in a four-day period recently. The Government has lost control of our borders."
The returns scheme faces further embarrassment after two confirmed cases of deported migrants simply returning to northern French beaches and crossing the Channel again by small boat.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Attorney General Lord Hermer, both former human rights lawyers, have committed Britain to remaining within the European Convention of Human Rights. Both the Conservatives and Reform UK maintain that leaving the convention is essential to properly address the crisis.
French operations have been hampered by their failure to implement promised changes to maritime laws that would allow intercepting small boats within 300 metres of shore. French officials cite safety concerns for both migrants and police officers.
According to House of Commons Library research, the UK has provided France with £658 million since 2018 specifically for small boat prevention, plus an additional £114 million over the previous four years for other security measures around Calais and migrant camps.
A Home Office spokesman expressed frustration: "We are furious at the level of illegal migrants entering the country on small boats. Joint operations with the French have intercepted over 20,000 entering the country over the last year. However, we must go further with the French to prevent boats entering our waters and scale up the removal of illegal migrants."
