French Efforts to Curb Illegal Crossings Come Too Late for British Politics

[Social Media]

 

French Efforts to Curb Illegal Crossings Come Too Late for British Politics

 

As the tide of small boat crossings across the English Channel shows little sign of slowing, the latest French promises to step up enforcement offer scant reassurance to British politicians weathering growing public anger. Despite repeated agreements and millions of euros in bilateral funding, the Channel remains an open route for people smugglers and migrants seeking to enter the UK illegally.

 

The French authorities are now reportedly considering more assertive tactics, with officials in Paris debating whether officers should be “armed and wearing body armour when they engage the boats,” a move that would be unthinkable in the British context. “Imagine the furore if that were suggested here,” the author notes, highlighting the political and cultural sensitivities surrounding enforcement on British shores.

 

The reality is that the UK has long leaned on French cooperation in trying to stem the flow of illegal migration. If given the choice, the author admits, “I would choose the French police” over Britain’s Border Force when it comes to facing down the criminal networks facilitating the crossings. Yet this pragmatic endorsement is laced with skepticism. While France does make efforts to intercept and prevent some boats from launching, footage of French officers apparently doing nothing as vessels depart has infuriated UK observers.

 

British governments of both stripes have, time and again, unveiled bilateral agreements with Paris in the hope of halting the crossings. The latest of these, covering 2023 to 2025, carries a price tag of €541 million — roughly £476 million at the time of the deal. “We pay a lot for the privilege too,” the author dryly observes. Still, the return on that investment has been minimal in terms of visible, sustained impact.

 

Even acknowledging that the crossings might be worse without French action, this is “cold comfort to British politicians facing mounting public anger at a completely unacceptable level of crossings.” The problem, in part, is that France lacks much incentive beyond British funding to prevent the migrants from continuing their journey. Their destination, after all, is not Calais but Dover.

 

Paris has long argued that the UK itself fuels the problem by maintaining a system that draws migrants — a “poorly-policed black economy,” for instance — which acts as a magnet and turns France’s northern coast into a de facto staging ground. Without addressing such pull factors, the Channel crossings are unlikely to end, no matter how many deals are signed.

 

There is some suggestion that the latest agreement could mark a turning point. France has now agreed, at least on paper, to engage boats at sea — a shift from previous refusals. However, the practical enforcement of this change remains uncertain. Much, as always, will depend on how French authorities interpret the need to “respect the law of the sea.”

 

The UK Conservatives, having spent years and millions securing French cooperation, now learn from this deal that it is “for the first time” that both governments have acknowledged “the need for action to prevent irregular crossings of the Channel.” The belatedness of that realization speaks volumes.

 

And even now, questions remain about French political will. As President Emmanuel Macron faces growing pressure from the Rassemblement National, how likely is he to prioritize British concerns? “Is he really going to want Sir Keir Starmer boasting of his strenuous efforts to keep illegal migrants in France, all for the benefit of Les Rosbifs?” the author asks. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-06-06

 

 

[impulse]

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

As the tide of small boat crossings across the English Channel shows little sign of slowing, the latest French promises to step up enforcement offer scant reassurance to British politicians weathering growing public anger.

 

Are the French really going to make an effort, or is it just lip service?

 

 

[NE1]

Saw an article about a year ago , French police down on the beach beaten back by sticks and firecrackers.

The French aren't bothered , christ it wouldn't surprise me if they were buying the dinghy's.

[JonnyF]

41 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Are the French really going to make an effort, or is it just lip service?

 

 

 

Lip service. 

 

We've paid them hundreds of millions to France and they do nothing. Mind you, if you see the state of Paris after PSG won the Champions leagure it's not surprising the French aren't bending over backwards to keep them in France. 

 

Then when they reach Britain, our RNLI pick them up and our government put them up in hotels. This is being done by design, to break down British culture and rebuild it in the globalist, multiculturalist vision. If you complain too loudly or question what happens when they come to your town, jail time awaits as Lee Dunn found out.

 

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/24513379.sellafield-worker-jailed-sharing-offensive-facebook-posts/

 

The UK government blaming the French is just a deflection. They want this, it's just they can no longer appear to want it. 

 

What hope have you got when this is your home secretary?

 

 

 

[MalcolmB]

I think it is a bit rich us complaining about this situation.

 

Maybe a few of them are criminals and most are males and are coming on boats and will rape and kill some natives and want to take over the place.

 

They are just copying what we did to Australia and other places. But Australia turned out alright in the end.
 

Most of them get jobs and pay taxes which contributes to our tax system build roads, hospitals and schools and support our aging population.

 

I put part of the blame on Brexit.

 

 

 

 

[JAG]

9 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

I think it is a bit rich us complaining about this situation.

 

Maybe a few of them are criminals and most are males and are coming on boats and will rape and kill some natives and want to take over the place.

 

They are just copying what we did to Australia and other places. But Australia turned out alright in the end.
 

Most of them get jobs and pay taxes which contributes to our tax system build roads, hospitals and schools and support our aging population.

 

I put part of the blame on Brexit.

 

 

 

 

I was going to respond, but my poor old Samsung Galaxy J2 cannot cope with finding the "roll on the floor laughing emoji", and then I thought, don't bother, there really is no point if he puts it down to "Brexit"!

[digger70]

French Efforts to Curb Illegal Crossings Come Too Late for British Politics .

 

 Don't keep playing Mister Nice guys .

Can't see a problem , sink the boats and drop them of at the French Beach and don't keep given the French all them Millions , they do Nothing..

Case closed . 

[StevieAus]

9 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

I think it is a bit rich us complaining about this situation.

 

Maybe a few of them are criminals and most are males and are coming on boats and will rape and kill some natives and want to take over the place.

 

They are just copying what we did to Australia and other places. But Australia turned out alright in the end.
 

Most of them get jobs and pay taxes which contributes to our tax system build roads, hospitals and schools and support our aging population.

 

I put part of the blame on Brexit.

I have no axe to grind as fortunately I don’t live in the UK however a couple of articles I have read suggest that as the majority of these people are unskilled and many are uneducated they will forever be a burden on the taxpayer.

What I don’t understand is that instead of assisting then to land in the UK they are not towed back to France, it seemed to work in Australia.

 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

I think it is a bit rich us complaining about this situation.

 

Maybe a few of them are criminals and most are males and are coming on boats and will rape and kill some natives and want to take over the place.

 

They are just copying what we did to Australia and other places. But Australia turned out alright in the end.
 

Most of them get jobs and pay taxes which contributes to our tax system build roads, hospitals and schools and support our aging population.

 

I put part of the blame on Brexit.