More than 320 illegal migrants cross English Channel today just one day after Labour signs extension on French border security deal

Mark White
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:24:46 +0000

More than 320 illegal migrants crossed the English Channel on Wednesday, a day after the UK government signed an emergency extension to its border security deal with France.

The first 67 migrants arrived onboard the Dover lifeboat just after 11am.

Around 5:30pm the final Border Force vessel so far today arrived into the Kent port.

GB News counted more than 80 migrants as they were taken off the Border Force vessel Volunteer.

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This comes as earlier this morning, two foreign nationals crossing to the UK via small boat died.

An emergency helicopter and a dozen police officers could be seen searching the area, with French maritime authorities seen hauling people out of the water off the coast of Gravelines, France.

Less than a day earlier, the Home Secretary agreed to provide France with additional £16million for the Anglo-French border security deal.

The emergency funding will ensure the French provide more security personnel toguard beaches in northern France over the next two months.

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Officials from both sides are still to agree a substantive deal, with the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said to be insisting on incentivised payments.

That scheme would be linked to the number of migrants the French managed to stop crossing the Channel.