Outrage as France Hands Lifejackets to Channel illegal Migrants — Secret UK Plans Exposed

A fisherman says the French are now giving lifejackets to migrants trying to cross the English Channel, and that the situation is getting worse.

Matt Coker, who works as a deep-sea fisherman, says it looks like both the UK and France have accepted they can’t completely stop the crossings, so they’re now trying to make them safer.

So far this year, over 7,200 people have crossed the Channel more than ever before in the first three months. Coker has seen the French navy helping small boats cross busy parts of the Channel to avoid accidents.

He said things have gotten worse over the past six months. Smugglers are sending out many boats at once, almost daily. Coker also heard British and French authorities talking on the radio about giving out lifejackets. He said the French give migrants lifejackets because many don’t have them, and they’re trying to prevent more deaths. When the British rescue the migrants, the French sometimes ask for the jackets back.

Coker told Times Radio that the French now guide the boats halfway across the Channel, and then the UK Border Force picks them up. He said the journey is now safer because migrants only need to go part of the way before being helped.

He’s worried that this might make more people want to try crossing, since it seems like both countries have given up on stopping it and are just managing it instead.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the French, saying they shouldn’t help people cross illegally. He believes the UK should pressure France to stop the boats before they leave or send them back. He also blamed Prime Minister Keir Starmer for ending the Rwanda policy, which was supposed to make people think twice before crossing.

France’s strategy has changed recently. The French interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said that sending people back could help fix the problem. He thinks a return agreement between the UK and the EU would discourage crossings, because people would know they’d be sent back.

Starting at the end of May, French police may begin stopping boats at sea, using a new unit trained to handle public order. Retailleau said that until now, French officers avoid dangerous situations at sea and mostly just guide the boats. But he now thinks that needs to change.

Coker also warned that the crossings have become very organized. In the beginning, migrants would cross at night to stay hidden. Now, boats are sent out more often, even in the daytime. He said the trips can be very risky, with boats getting too close to big ships or nearly tipping over in rough waves.

New UK documents show that the Border Force had planned a way to stop boats in the middle of the Channel. One UK ship would gently push a dinghy to steer it in another direction, while other boats would be nearby to help if needed.