French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day state visit to the UK on Tuesday (July 8), marking the first by a European Union head of state since Brexit. Though the visit features formal ceremonies and royal hospitality, a central focus is the management of irregular migration across the English Channel.

Macron held talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday at Downing Street. The leaders discussed ways to expand joint efforts to reduce the numbers of small-boat crossings and address the broader challenges of migration and border security. Both governments have described migration as a top priority.

In the first six months of 2025, more than 20,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats, around 50 percent more than at the same point last year. The route remains dangerous, and several people have died attempting the crossing in recent months.

The UK government, led by Starmer’s Labour Party since 2024, is seeking closer collaboration with France to stop boat arrivals and disrupt smuggling networks. The Home Office has called for coordinated operations, intelligence sharing, and stronger enforcement along the northern French coast.

'Operationally and legally complex'

Recent video footage showing French police stopping boats before they launch has been viewed in the UK as a sign of growing cooperation. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said France is "bringing in important new tactics to stop boats that are in the water."

France is also considering whether to expand patrols or interventions further from the shore, though no final decision has been made.

Migrant rights activists and a police union have warned that doing so could endanger both migrants and officers. Starmer's spokesperson, Tom Wells, said some of the methods being discussed are "operationally and legally complex, but we're working closely with the French."

The upcoming UK-France summit on Thursday (July 10), will include senior ministers and officials discussing joint approaches to migration, organized crime, and migrant return policies. France and the UK are also exploring new legal tools to prevent irregular migration.

In a speech to the UK Parliament, Macron emphasized the importance of UK-France relations and ongoing collaboration on shared issues, and described the two countries as partners facing common challenges.

French police slash migrant boats with knives

Under UK pressure, France is preparing to grant police greater authority to carry out interventions during migrant boat departures, the Associated Press (AP) has reported. The UK supports France’s tougher approach and is pushing for authorities to intervene further offshore.

Recent footage from near Boulogne shows French police puncturing inflatable boats carrying migrants, sometimes putting those on board, including families and children, at risk.

Authorities have also sealed off waterways, deployed drones, and increased patrols along beaches, though migrants continue to find ways to avoid detection.

Human rights workers warn that the intensified measures may increase dangers and cause panic among migrants. In one recent crossing attempt captured on video by AP, police officers waded into the water and used knives to slash the thin rubber boats, while some migrants tried unsuccessfully to shield their boats from the officers.

On Sunday, the British right-leaning tabloid, the Sun on Sunday, reported that French police had been considering laying nets in shallow waters to stop the propellors and prevent the boats from setting off to sea. That tactic has, however, not been confirmed by either the British or French authorities.

Another British right-wing anti-migration broadcaster, GB News, also reported the Sun's allegations, adding that French police were rumored to be "using jetskis" to deploy nets in the sea, which would "jam the propellors of small boats and bring them to a halt."

This unconfirmed tactic is similar to ones suggested by the Conservative government in the UK in 2022, under then Home Secretary Priti Patel. According to GB news, that tactic was quickly abandoned before being implemented, due to fears of high court challenges.

With AP, AFP and dpa