French becoming more effective in stopping small boat crossings, UK says
The Home Office credits France with intercepting hundreds of potential crossings this summer using new tactics.
The UK Home Office has claimed that French police tactics are becoming more effective in stopping small boat crossings from the French coast into the UK. Over the summer, French authorities intercepted 185 potential crossings involving 4,300 migrants, as well as stopping 12 boats at sea using new techniques. Footage released by French police shows officers racing across a beach in jeeps to intercept a launch and slashing it lengthways with a knife.
While Channel crossings have decreased by about 40% compared to the previous year, thousands of illegal migrants are still getting through, with 250 arriving on Monday alone. The UK-France Border Security deal, which includes additional funding for French authorities, has led to 61% of small boats being intercepted since the agreement was struck three months ago, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.
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