Migration Agreement | Migration Defense: Escalation in the English Channel

France and Great Britain are seeking new ways to stem the ever-increasing number of migrant boat journeys across the English Channel. In the first six months of 2025 alone, over 20,000 people crossed the border—about 50 percent more than in the same period last year. The issue of small boats is therefore a central theme of Emmanuel Macron's three-day state visit to the United Kingdom. On Tuesday, the French President met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer for bilateral talks in Downing Street, and a conference is scheduled for Thursday.

Among the issues being discussed is a readmission agreement for people who have left the European Union for the United Kingdom without documentation . However, the focus is on new operational measures along the French coast. This is due to a shift in strategy that has already become apparent in recent months: French forces are increasingly stopping boats, even after they have already entered the water. Under current law, this is illegal – police or gendarmerie are only allowed to intervene until the boats have been launched.

According to the French Interior Ministry, gendarmerie units will in future be authorized to "actively stop" boats up to 300 meters from the shore, meaning to board or render them unusable. A corresponding decree is expected in July. While the British side admits that these operations are "operationally and legally complex," the political direction is clear: The new practice is viewed as key to "combating migration."

The British tabloids go even further, reporting on alleged new methods by the French police: According to reports, officers are investigating the use of nets in shallow water to block boat propellers and prevent departures—sometimes even from jet skis. This has not yet been confirmed by either the British or French authorities. A similar idea was already discussed in 2022 under then-British Home Secretary Priti Patel, but was quickly discarded due to legal concerns.

Civil sea rescue organizations and even police unions are warning that the two governments' new plans put people's lives at risk. The French aid organization Utopia 56 documented a case in June in which a "small boat" was stopped in shallow water. According to a BBC report, a similar and dangerous incident occurred near Boulogne on Friday when French police slashed open a rubber dinghy not far from the beach, with passengers already on their way across the English Channel. British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper then pointedly praised France's "important new tactics."

The death of Jumaa al-Hasan demonstrates the consequences of cracking down on departing boats. The 27-year-old Syrian drowned during a police operation on the Aa Canal in Gravelines on the night of March 3, 2024. His case was the subject of a year-long investigation by the online magazine "The New Arab," the French media project "Disclose," the French NGO Index, and the research group "Liminal."

According to the investigation, French officials attempted to use tear gas to prevent a group of refugees from boarding a rubber dinghy. Jumaa was trapped between a tributary of the English Channel and police – and eventually jumped into the water in a panic. He immediately drowned. The police were within sight but did not help. Witnesses report that other emergency services also failed to respond, despite tips from migrants and a subsequent emergency call. The fire service was deployed late and in the wrong location. Jumaa's body was only discovered by chance 16 days later.

The investigations are not directed against the apparent failure to provide assistance, but primarily against suspected "smugglers." These so-called "boat drivers" are usually migrants themselves who "earn" the crossing through their efforts, for example, by inflating the dinghy or distributing life jackets. In France, since 2024, they can face charges of negligent homicide – according to "The New Arab," carrying up to 20 years in prison and a €1.5 million fine. The charge in these cases is participation in a criminal organization resulting in death.

Jumaa al-Hasan was 27 years old. He had lost two brothers in Syria and worked in several countries to support his family. After fleeing via Algeria and Spain, he wanted to go to Great Britain to study—and perhaps one day return to Syria. Instead, he died in French waters under the watchful eye of the police, a scene that could soon be covered by law.