A leaked coastguard log has revealed that a French operation to slash a migrant dinghy failed to prevent it from reaching the UK, raising fresh concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the joint UK-French policy to intercept small boats in the Channel.
The incident occurred on the night of 9 July, just hours before Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron announced a new 'one in, one out' asylum deal. According to the situation report from the Gris-Nez maritime rescue coordination centre, the gendarmerie punctured a dinghy at Cayeux-sur-Mer but lost sight of it. The coastguard later located the vessel, which had picked up more passengers and arrived in the UK with 55 people aboard after being rescued by the RNLI.
Home Office data shows that ten boats carrying 573 passengers reached the UK that day. Overall, more than 21,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, a 50% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
French coastguard sources said the incident demonstrates that slashing boats does not deter migrants if the vessel remains afloat, and that the tactic requires additional sea rescue resources. The French coastguard union has also raised concerns about 'institutional mistreatment' of migrants under the stop-the-boats policies.
Separately, the Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick has been designated to detain people arriving by small boat before their return to France. Charlotte Khan of Care4Calais condemned the boat-slashing tactic, stating it puts lives at risk and will not stop dangerous journeys, and called for safe routes to claim asylum instead.
