A leaked coastguard log has raised fresh concerns over the safety and effectiveness of the UK-French policy to intercept migrant dinghies in the Channel. The document, obtained by the Guardian, details an incident in which French gendarmes punctured a dinghy off Cayeux-sur-Mer on the night of 9 July, yet the vessel still reached the UK with 55 passengers the following day.
The incident occurred hours before Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new deal to tackle Channel crossings. Under the agreement, one person who arrives irregularly would be returned to France for each person allowed to travel legally to claim asylum. The interception of dinghies up to 300 metres out to sea is a key part of the strategy, which has been in place since at least 2022.
According to the coastguard log, the gendarmerie punctured the dinghy at 11.21pm on 9 July but lost sight of it. A search involving air and sea resources was initiated, and the vessel was located in the early hours of 10 July. Despite the damage, it picked up more passengers along the coast and was eventually rescued by an RNLI lifeboat, arriving in the UK with 55 people. Home Office data shows that 10 boats arrived that day carrying 573 passengers.
French coastguard sources said the incident demonstrates that slashing a dinghy does not deter migrants if the boat remains afloat. They also noted that the tactic requires additional rescue resources. In an open letter on 25 June, the French coastguard union Solidaires Douanes raised concerns about “increasing institutional mistreatment of people in exile” as part of stop-the-boats policies.
Separately, the Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport has been earmarked to detain people who arrive in small boats before their return to France. The Home Office has not disclosed how individuals will be selected for return or how long they will be held. Brook House was previously the subject of a public inquiry after undercover footage revealed mistreatment of detainees.
Charlotte Khan, head of advocacy at Care4Calais, condemned the boat-slashing tactic, saying: “Slashing boats in the water will put lives at risk, but as these disturbing logs show, it won’t stop people making dangerous journeys to seek safety in the UK.” She called for safe routes to claim asylum as the only way to end crossings. Home Office sources said the French government had not yet announced the outcome of its review of interception tactics.
