French authorities have stopped a migrant boat destined for Britain for the first time since the two countries struck a major deal to crack down on illegal crossings.
They were seen boarding an inflatable vessel on the Aa canal in Gravelines at Calais’s north coast.
It was the first such interception since Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a deal to tackle Channel crossings last July.
Photographs from the scene depict several men, believed to be people-smugglers, aboard the dinghy alongside a police vessel, with the inflatable subsequently towed to shore.
The French maritime prefecture did not comment on the specifics of the operation but said "an ongoing judicial investigation" was underway concerning the boat.
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Previously, French police had confined their interventions to beaches, stopping vessels during launch preparations.
Waterborne operations were deemed excessively hazardous, potentially opening French officers up to prosecution.
Criminal networks adapted by deploying so-called taxi-boats, which enter the water at a distance from patrol areas before travelling along the coastline to collect migrants wading out to meet them.
Official French documentation reveals this smuggling technique proved remarkably successful, achieving an 81 per cent success rate during 2025.
French police have intercepted the first small boat at sea since a deal was signed by Britain and France last July
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To overcome the possible legal threats to French officers, new rules of engagement have been put in place.
Gendarmes may now only intercept taxi-boats prior to migrants climbing aboard, rather than when vessels are fully laden with passengers, per the BBC.
Saturday's operation appears to have followed this precise protocol, with police acting on suspicions that the inflatable travelling down the canal towards the sea was en route to collect migrants, prompting them to detain those aboard.
The interception may provide some relief to Sir Keir, who achieved the unenviable title of holding the worst record on small boats of any Prime Minister.
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Previously, waterborne operations were deemed excessively hazardous, potentially opening French officers up to prosecution
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In his first 19 months in office, more than 65,840 asylum seekers arrived on Britain’s shores from France, GB News exclusively revealed on Monday.
This daunting tally surpassed that of the previous record holder, Boris Johnson.
The former Tory leader saw 65,784 arrive in his 39 months occupying No10, meaning Sir Keir smashed the record in almost half the time.
More than 41,474 completed the perilous 21-mile journey in 2025 alone, with an extra 23,242 migrants arriving on British shores during Sir Keir’s first six months in power.
Sir Keir Starmer beat Boris Johnson's 39 month total in half the time
|GB NEWS
Despite freezing weather in Calais and Dover earlier this month, GB News's provisional figures show that more than 900 have already crossed in 2026.
Sir Keir also welcomed 195 asylum seekers under his “one-in, one-out” deal with France, comfortably taking the Prime Minister's total beyond Mr Johnson’s.
The Prime Minister’s total roughly equates to 117 new arrivals per day, more than double Mr Johnson’s average of 58.
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak’s 50,637 figure across 22 months averages out at just 81 per day.
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