Yvette Cooper Desperately Calls for French Help as Hundreds of Migrants Flood Into UK in Just One Day!
More than 12,500 migrants have crossed the English Channel this year, and the numbers are rising. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has suggested that French authorities may not be ready to start stopping migrant boats in the water during the busy summer months. She admitted that stopping these boats before they leave the French coast is very important, especially as August and September are peak times for crossings due to calmer waters.
At the moment, French law prevents their police from interfering once a boat is already in the water. This loophole is causing big problems. Smuggling gangs have found ways to take advantage of this by launching their boats further down the French coast and picking up migrants already standing in the water. French officers are often nearby but can’t do anything because of the rules.
Yvette Cooper said the UK has been urging France to change this policy for many years. Now, after a lot of back-and-forth, France has finally agreed to start allowing action within their waters. However, this change hasn’t been enforced yet, and Cooper made it clear that the problem is far from over. Criminal gangs have had years to grow stronger, and stopping them will take time and effort.
The UK government is also introducing new anti-terror laws later this year and increasing cooperation with international agencies like Europol to target these smuggling networks. Cooper stressed that enforcement is being increased on all sides – by tracking the gangs across Europe, improving security at the border, and working more closely with France.
So far this year, the Home Office reports that 12,407 migrants have arrived in 224 small boats. On Monday alone, 601 people made the crossing in just 10 boats, the same day Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a new crackdown on illegal immigration. Another 300 migrants were believed to have crossed on Tuesday.
This morning, several Border Force vessels – including Typhoon, Hurricane, Defender, and Ranger – responded to multiple incidents in the Channel, picking up groups of migrants and bringing them to Dover. Satellite tracking showed Typhoon making multiple stops mid-Channel before returning to the port. Hurricane also dropped off a group at Dover’s Western Docks. Rescue boats and other ships were seen active between Dover and Calais as part of the effort.
The weather is expected to worsen soon, with stronger winds likely slowing down future crossings. Still, the urgency remains.
A Home Office spokesperson said that everyone wants to stop these dangerous crossings, which put lives at risk and weaken the UK’s border security. Smuggling gangs don’t care whether the people they traffic live or die – they only care about the money. That’s why the UK is using every tool it has to break up these criminal networks.
The government’s plan includes sharing intelligence with international partners, increasing enforcement in northern France, and introducing tougher laws in the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. All of this is aimed at stopping the gangs and making the borders safer.
