The European Union has laid out plans to boost operations against illegal migration in the English Channel, including deploying additional staff and surveillance equipment to prevent crossings.
Issued on: 17/06/2026 - 06:41
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Small boat crossings have long been a contentious issue in Britain and France, helping fuel hard-right electoral gains. France called for more help this month to stem the flow. "We are stepping up our cooperation with the UK to fight smugglers, disrupt illegal arrivals, and strengthen support for member states," EU migration chief Magnus Brunner said while presenting the bloc's action plan. The plan includes strengthening operational capacity at the border, including reinforcing a new centre run by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) to combat criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling. France and UK agree to new migrant deal, with funding tied to results Border measures A UK-French joint intelligence unit in the French city of Calais would also be reinforced. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) would deploy staff and equipment, including surveillance assets, the European Commission said. The 27-member bloc said it would also step up its migration diplomacy by strengthening cooperation with countries of origin and transit to curb migration flows. It also plans EU and UK information campaigns aimed at discouraging people from attempting the journey. More than 41,000 migrants arrived on England's southern coast last year, the second-highest annual total since records began in 2018. France has long been a departure point for migrants hoping to cross the Channel and start a new life in Britain. Deadly crossings Many migrants pay smugglers thousands of dollars before boarding overloaded rubber dinghies to make the dangerous crossing of one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Belgian authorities have also raised concerns about a new but still limited trend of migrant departures towards England. More than 400 people have been intercepted attempting to cross the Channel so far this year. The European Commission said the measures would now be implemented together with member states, while warning that some could take time to put in place. The EU, which is pursuing a broader crackdown on irregular migration, said illegal departures from the bloc via the Channel are down 44 percent so far this year. French authorities rescue over 6,000 migrants crossing English Channel in 2025 Tragedy in 2021 Meanwhile, prosecutors announced on Tuesday that 14 people will stand trial in France over the deaths of at least 27 migrants in November 2021 in the deadliest recorded small-boat crossing of the Channel. The defendants are linked to people-smuggling networks and are accused of playing a role in the sinking. At least 27 people, mainly Iraqi Kurds, died when their inflatable dinghy sank in the early hours of 24 November 2021. Four others are still believed to be missing. The 14 defendants, most of them born in Afghanistan and Iraq, face charges including manslaughter and criminal conspiracy, the French National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organised Crime (Junalco) said. Prosecutors said their alleged roles ranged from drivers to organisers of the crossing. Most deny wrongdoing. Some Iraqi Kurdish defendants say they were migrants rather than people smugglers. It was not immediately clear when the trial would begin. (with AFP)
