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French authorities say more Channel crossing attempts are starting farther south and west, putting people on longer voyages even as UK arrivals have fallen.
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French authorities say more migrants are attempting Channel crossings from beaches south and west of the usual departure areas around Calais and Dunkirk. In Seine-Maritime, authorities reported 58 attempted crossings so far in 2026, compared with 30 in 2025. [1]
A boat that left Normandy last week spent more than 30 hours at sea before Border Force took it to Dover, the BBC reported. Earlier in September, Isle of Wight lifeboats met another boat that had left from the Cherbourg area. Marine safety consultant David McFarlane said longer voyages increase exposure to hazardous wind and swell, raising the risk of a boat being swamped. [1]
UK arrivals by small boat from France totalled 19,135 from 1 January to 27 September, down from 32,188 in the same period last year. Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, said police disruption of launches in northern France was a highly plausible explanation for the wider spread of departure points. [1]
The Home Office says joint efforts have prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts since the election. It says a signed deal with France is intended to increase staffing on French beaches and add 45 officers in western coastal areas. [1]
1 listed sources · explore evidence, limitations and provenance.
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