Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, June 2nd, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that the British government is pressing France to revise its laws—specifically a regulation that prevents police from intervening once migrants are in the water.
Cooper’s remarks followed a record-breaking weekend: more than 1,100 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Saturday, the highest single-day figure so far this year. As of early May, over 12,000 migrants had already reached the UK by small boat, with numbers continuing to rise.
Opposition MPs say criminal gangs are exploiting loopholes in French law. Conservative MP Chris Philp, the current shadow home secretary, criticised France’s efforts both on land and at sea.
“The French also have international law obligations to stop illegal migration, which they are currently breaching,” Philp posted on X, threatening: “We should suspend the 12 year fishing deal until the French stop the wave of illegal immigration—including stopping boats at sea.”
Philp also noted that the French “prevention rate on land is lamentably under 40%” and that “the French are not stopping these boats at sea, as the Belgians do.”
Under current French regulations, police can act on land but are not authorised to intervene once migrants are afloat—at which point responsibility shifts to maritime authorities, who focus on rescue operations.
Cooper said the UK government has asked France to allow police intervention while migrants are still in shallow waters. She confirmed that the French interior ministry has now agreed that its rules need to change. “A French maritime review is looking at what new operational tactics they will use, and we are urging France to complete this review and implement the changes as swiftly as possible,” she said.
“There are further discussions underway this week,” Cooper added.
