French units funded by the UK prevented 185 small boat events between 27 April and 2 August. French authorities report this covered 61% of all small boat events in the period, up nearly 5% from the same weeks in 2025.
The Home Office states that four weeks saw every potential crossing stopped. Direct action prevented over 4,300 attempts to reach UK shores, with hundreds more halted before migrants reached French beaches.
Tactics used on beaches and at sea
French officers carried out interceptions on beaches, stopped launches from the shore and prevented boarding of taxi boats. They seized boats, engines and lifejackets, and arrested suspected smugglers. In one May case south of Calais, officers found nearly 100 migrants, a hidden boat, petrol and an engine. In July near Dunkirk, drone surveillance led to seizure of a boat being carried by a group.
At sea, new maritime tactics introduced on 3 March resulted in 12 taxi boat interceptions, three of them in the final two weeks of the reported period. These stops kept vessels from moving further up the coast to pick up more people.
Vehicle and equipment seizures
Officers seized boats and engines from vehicles heading to the coast. In May a vehicle search found a boat, engine, three fuel cans and a fuel tank, leading to an arrest. In June two suspected traffickers were arrested with a boat and three jerry cans of fuel. A July drone operation located and seized a boat after spotting a group carrying an engine.
Detention trial results
A trial launched on 1 May to remove migrants from French beaches produced 119 detentions. Of these, 76 people remained in detention, 32 were released and 40 were deported from France to home countries or other EU states. Two additional police units, including a 50-person riot police team, are now active on beaches. The French side is also deploying drones, two new helicopters and a new camera system.
This is general information drawn from official reports.