French Channel interception rate falls despite £662m UK deal

French police have intercepted 185 small boats attempting to cross the English Channel in the three months since a new £662 million deal with the United Kingdom was signed, but the interception rate has slightly decreased compared to the period before the agreement. According to an analysis of Home Office data, the share of migrant crossings prevented by French authorities fell to 60.7 percent in the three months following the deal's implementation, down from 61.2 percent in the three months prior. The figures indicate that while the total number of boats stopped has risen, the proportion of successful interceptions has not improved.

The bilateral agreement, signed in April, committed £662 million over three years to strengthen beach patrols and disrupt smuggling networks. It includes a conditional £100 million payment linked to French performance in preventing crossings. Since the deal came into force, French police have prevented an average of about two boats per day, stopping approximately 4,312 migrants from reaching Britain. This represents a five percent increase in the number of boats intercepted compared to the same period last year. However, 120 boats successfully...