- UK-France migration cooperation criticized
- Challenges in intelligence sharing
- Efforts to deter Channel crossings
French state auditors have asserted that the United Kingdom does not adequately coordinate with France to reduce the number of individuals crossing the Channel in small boats, nor does it provide sufficient detailed information.
The independent French organization Cour des comptes, which investigates the use of public funds, has released a report on the effectiveness of French policy regarding unauthorized migration. In the report, France is criticized for “struggling to develop operational cooperation arrangements” with neighboring countries, including the United Kingdom.
Particularly, the report mentions a joint intelligence unit between the United Kingdom and France established in 2020 to combat human smuggling and reduce the number of individuals jeopardizing their lives to cross the Channel. It assisted in dismantling seven illicit migration networks in 2022.
However, despite commitments made by ministers from France and the United Kingdom in 2022 to enhance collaboration in combating criminal networks, the auditors discovered that “the British provide no actionable information regarding the departures of small boats and only very general, first-level data that has not been verified.”
Challenges in UK-France Cooperation
Regarding individuals arriving via small boats, the report stated that information regarding “nationalities of individuals” and “references or serial numbers of boats and motors” appeared to be “extremely patchy.”
Furthermore, “the information and intelligence exchange relationship between France and the United Kingdom is therefore unbalanced,” the statement continued.
A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Home Office stated, “This report is inaccurate and does not reflect our current working relationship with France, including intelligence sharing; it is based on outdated information.” Together, we have taken more robust measures over the past two years to combat vile people-smuggling organizations and stop the boats.
They further stated, “We maintain strong collaboration with French counterparts across all levels, actively contributing to advancements in prevention measures against crossing attempts, both at the shorelines and well in advance of their arrival.” Due to this ceaseless activity, crossings have decreased by 36% over the past year. Our formidable collaboration with France effectively thwarted over 26,000 perilous, unlawful, and superfluous endeavors to traverse borders in 2023.
The issue of individuals perilously attempting to cross the Channel from Calais in northern France to the Kent coast of the United Kingdom on makeshift vessels, drowning or putting their lives at risk, has plagued the Franco-British relationship for a number of years.
Challenges in UK-France Cooperation
Confusion, a lack of resources, and poor communication between the United Kingdom and France impeded efforts to save 27 individuals who drowned in the deadliest Channel disaster in over four decades in November 2021, according to a report published in November by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, which is a division of the Department of Transport.
In order to deter individuals from traversing the Channel in small vessels, France has augmented its police force, infrastructure, and equipment. The United Kingdom contributed €222 million (£190 million) in accordance with a bilateral agreement to enhance security and policing from 2018 to 2022. The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, who has sworn to “stop the boats,” pledged €541 million for the period 2023–2026 at a Franco-British summit in March of last year. France also announced it would increase its funding.
According to an estimate by the UK Ministry of Defence, small boat crossings in the Channel increased by at least 58% between 2021 and 2022, with over 45,000 individuals apprehended on British shores in that year. According to the French government audit report, 56% of attempted crossings were thwarted in the same year, which was the same as the previous year. French authorities prevented nearly 33,000 crossings in 2022, an increase of over 40% compared to the number of crossings prevented in 2021, according to data from the Home Office.
This week, the British government disclosed that the volume of individuals traversing the border decreased by over 33% to slightly less than 26,000. The UK Home Office stated that their partnership with France averted an additional 26,000 “dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossing attempts in 2023.” Over eighty percent of all boat-related incidents involving passengers have transpired on land, either at French beach departure points or far interior.
Weather Impact on Channel Crossings
However, following a lull caused by poor weather, the union representing British Border Force officials predicted this week that the number of people arriving in Britain in small boats will increase once more this year. The latest slowdown, according to Lucy Moreton of the Immigration Services Union, was likely a “glitch” caused by the exceptionally poor weather in recent months.
On December 15, a boat transporting dozens of refugees encountered difficulties while attempting to cross the Channel to Britain, resulting in the death of one individual. The final crossing of the year occurred on December 16 when a single boat carrying 55 individuals reached from France. Throughout the remainder of the year, during periods of heavy rainfall and high winds. The longest consecutive period without any arrivals culminated with no additional crossings documented.
The French audit report evaluated additional concerns pertaining to overarching French migration policies, highlighting the insufficiency of personnel to handle cases and the necessity for additional personnel to conduct more thorough inspections and process data at border patrols. The report additionally cautioned against the “instability” of regulations in France, where 133 changes to the law have occurred in the past decade, as well as the “propensity” of the French interior ministry to issue decrees based on the news agenda.
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France’s Struggle with Detentions and Departures
The report stated that France detained the most individuals from within the European Union while they were still on French soil, but that it continued to struggle with executing departure orders. The report advised France to further develop its voluntary return programs.
The French parliament passed a severe new immigration law last month, but it has since caused divisions within the centrist party of Emmanuel Macron and the resignation of a government minister. The constitutional council of France determines whether certain measures violate the constitution. Such as migration quotas, limits on social security benefits, and the right to citizenship.
