- According to ‘The Migration Observatory’ at the University of Oxford, about 37,000 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2024, which is a 25% increase from the previous year’s figures.
- The French government is under pressure to decrease the number of small boats set to sail from Northern France to illegally migrate into the UK.
- The UK thus faces a serious dilemma of having to balance between safeguarding its land and maritime borders whilst simultaneously upholding its international obligations.
Illegal migration has been a serious threat to the sovereignty and security of many European nations. Illegal Small boat crossings across the English Channel have been a serious issue the Governments of the United Kingdom and France are trying to solve it. Currently, Emmanuel Macron, the French President who is on a 3-day visit to the United Kingdom, is expected to discuss this issue, among many more, with the UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer.
Illegal migration, Human trafficking and smuggling are issues that London is trying to keep a close look at by securing its borders and bringing in stricter regulations. Recently, on the 12th of May, 2025, the UK government brought about a policy paper focusing on ‘Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper’. The government is hence not just trying to reduce legal migration but also trying to significantly reduce attempts of illegal migration made into the country through various mediums. Every summer, as the weather near the English Channel becomes a little tolerable, hundreds and thousands of migrants and asylum seekers attempt to cross the channel to seek refuge in an English-speaking country. With the rise in humanitarian issues and geopolitical tensions across the world, the number of illegal migrations into the UK is not reducing.
According to ‘The Migration Observatory’ at the University of Oxford, about 37,000 people were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats in 2024, which is a 25% increase from the previous year’s figures. The observatory further stated that small boat arrivals increased further in the first five months of 2025. A ‘small boat’ is defined by The Migration Observatory as one of several vessels used by individuals who cross the English Channel to gain entry into the UK without a visa or permission to enter. This data, however, does not include arrivals of migrants to the UK on larger vessels.
The French government is under pressure to decrease the number of small boats set to sail from Northern France to illegally migrate into the UK. The French police are also slashing inflatable boats with knives to prevent people from crossing the English Channel. Though the French Interior Ministry says that the French police haven’t been issued orders to slash boats, the British government, which is partly funding France’s police efforts, welcomed this approach by the French police.
Illegal migration through small boats crossing the English Channel is more than a Border Security issue. It’s a humanitarian issue reflecting global inequality. The State Visit by the French President to the UK is a soft power projection that aims to strengthen the partnership between Paris and London. Though the UK is paying France to deter the small boat crossings, not many results have been observed by the UK government concerning this issue.
Sylvie Bernman, who was the French Ambassador to the UK from 2014 to 2017, said that the small boats issue is difficult, but France is making progress on it. The UK thus faces a serious dilemma of having to balance between safeguarding its land and maritime borders whilst simultaneously upholding its international obligations.
Vibha Hareesh has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Jindal Global University. She has a strong interest in geopolitics, international relations, and security studies. Views expressed are the author’s own.
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