UK signs ‘road map’ with France as Channel crossings continue

The UK has signed a “road map” agreement with France aimed at bolstering co-operation to tackle people smuggling as small boat crossings continued in the Channel on Thursday.

Border security commander Martin Hewitt met French special representative on migration Patrick Stefanini in Paris after Home Office figures showed 210 people arrived in Britain on Wednesday.

Migrants wearing life jackets were also brought ashore in Dover, Kent, on Thursday after disembarking from a Border Force boat.

The Home Office said the “road map” agreed by Mr Hewitt and Mr Stefanini identified four top priorities for border control.

These were “disrupting criminal gangs, deterring illegal migrants from taking the dangerous journey, ensuring the effective and prompt return of irregular migrants to source and transit countries, and tackling the root cause” of irregular movement, the department said.

The two men set a date for a “plenary meeting” between British and French representatives due to take place in May as part of the new agreement to strengthen partnership between the two countries on migration.

According to latest official figures there have been 3,434 crossings so far this year, up by 15% on the same period in 2024 (2,983), 16% on 2023 (2,953) and 55% compared with 2022 (2,212).

The highest number arriving in one day this year so far stands at 592 people who crossed the Channel in 11 boats on March 2.

Some 1,378 people have arrived after crossing the Channel in the first five days of the month, data suggests.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

“We are delivering real change in our approach through legislation to create new tools, powers, offences and enforcement action which will keep us one step ahead of the people-smuggling gangs.”