Brexit no detour for migrants hoping to cross Channel to UK
4 years, 11 months ago

Brexit no detour for migrants hoping to cross Channel to UK

Associated Press  

CALAIS, France — Migrants and refugees waiting by the French side of the English Channel say Brexit hasn’t derailed their determination to cross over to pursue better lives in Britain. Brexit taking effect late Friday doesn’t appear so far to have dented the will of the desperate people from outside Europe who made it to Calais to make an end run into Britain. A migrant from Gambia who would not give his name for the same reason expressed his anguish by singing a reggae song he composed with the lyrics, “Living in this jungle, yeah, living in this jungle yeah, we don’t have nowhere to go and nowhere to stay.” At one point, thousands of refugees and migrants congregated in Calais, assembling a huge makeshift camp dubbed “The Jungle.” French authorities eventually cleared and closed it. French border police and maritime officials patrol northern France by land, sea and air, combing beaches, dunes and coastal waters to catch the increasing number of people attempting to get across the Channel in small boats.

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History of this topic

3 die off northern France coast in a Channel crossing attempt
1 week, 4 days ago

3 die off northern France coast in a Channel crossing attempt

Associated Press  

PARIS — At least three migrants died early Sunday while attempting to cross the English Channel to Britain from northern France, authorities said. “There were more people attempting to board than the boat could hold,” he said during a press conference Sunday. “This morning, lives have been lost at sea because ruthless criminals running the small boat trade are overloading …

3 migrants die while attempting to cross English Channel
Top News
1 week, 5 days ago

3 migrants die while attempting to cross English Channel

India Today  

At least three migrants died early on Sunday while attempting to cross the English Channel to the UK from northern France, authorities said. The deaths were confirmed after an early morning rescue operation involving French emergency services and the navy's "Dauphin" helicopter. The prefecture described the attempted crossing as "difficult", with around 50 people stranded in the water and on …

UK and Germany sign deal against people smugglers as Europe struggles to halt Channel crossings
4 weeks, 2 days ago

UK and Germany sign deal against people smugglers as Europe struggles to halt Channel crossings

Associated Press  

LONDON — The U.K. and Germany pledged Tuesday to share intelligence and expertise against the people-smuggling gangs that send migrants across the English Channel in small boats, the latest effort by European countries to stop the dangerous journeys. “The criminal gangs who organize dangerous small boats across the channel that undermine our border security, that put lives at risk, are …

France can no longer bear ‘entire burden’ of defending UK border, warns minister on migrant crisis
1 month, 1 week ago

France can no longer bear ‘entire burden’ of defending UK border, warns minister on migrant crisis

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Bruno Retailleau, the new French interior minister, warned on Friday that Britain could no …

Furious French mayors accuse UK of ‘being in denial’ over migrant crossings in demand over cross-border deal
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Furious French mayors accuse UK of ‘being in denial’ over migrant crossings in demand over cross-border deal

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Keir Starmer has brushed off calls from the French mayors They …

A least 8 people have died trying to cross the English Channel, French authorities say
3 months, 3 weeks ago

A least 8 people have died trying to cross the English Channel, French authorities say

The Hindu  

At least eight people died during a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from northern France, French maritime authorities said on Sunday. A French rescue ship was deployed to the area and rescue services offered medical assistance to 53 migrants on the beach, a statement from the French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea …

Eight died while attempting to cross English Channel from France
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Eight died while attempting to cross English Channel from France

China Daily  

Migrants on an inflatable dinghy attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain, on the beach of the Slack dunes in Wimereux, France, Sept 4, 2024. PARIS -- Eight migrants died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France between Saturday night and Sunday morning, France's Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said on Sunday. …

12 migrants perish crossing Channel
4 months ago

12 migrants perish crossing Channel

China Daily  

Migrants on an inflatable dinghy attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain, on the beach of the Slack dunes in Wimereux, France, September 4, 2024. A boat carrying migrants from Cap Gris-Nez in France, around 34 kilometers from the English port of Dover, "ripped open" according to French coastguards. France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called it a "terrible …

12 migrants perish crossing Channel
4 months ago

12 migrants perish crossing Channel

China Daily  

Migrants on an inflatable dinghy attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain, on the beach of the Slack dunes in Wimereux, France, September 4, 2024. A boat carrying migrants from Cap Gris-Nez in France, around 34 kilometers from the English port of Dover, "ripped open" according to French coastguards. France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called it a "terrible …

At least 12 dead after migrant boat capsizes in English Channel, says French interior minister
4 months ago

At least 12 dead after migrant boat capsizes in English Channel, says French interior minister

ABC  

At least 12 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the English Channel on its way to Britain, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said on Tuesday in a post on X, adding that two other people were still missing. "Unfortunately, the bottom of the boat ripped open," said Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel near the fishing …

Five thousand migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, new figures show
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Five thousand migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, new figures show

Daily Mail  

5,000 migrants have now crossed the English Channel on small boats since Labour won the general election in July, Home Office figures have confirmed. 5,000 migrants have now crossed the English Channel on small boats since Labour won the general election in July, Home Office figures have confirmed Your browser does not support iframes. Dinghies have continued to enter British …

Border Force returns Channel migrants to France for first time
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Border Force returns Channel migrants to France for first time

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The UK took …

4 migrants die while attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France
5 months, 4 weeks ago

4 migrants die while attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France

Associated Press  

PARIS — Four migrants have died while trying to cross the English Channel on an inflatable boat from France to the U.K., French authorities said Friday. Migrants trying to reach the U.K. risk drowning as they try to cross the busy English Channel, often aboard crowded, unseaworthy boats. “Setting sail in an overloaded boat, with particularly unfavourable weather conditions like …

Dover-Calais ferries face ‘major disruption’ as a result of port workers’ strike
7 months ago

Dover-Calais ferries face ‘major disruption’ as a result of port workers’ strike

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy D-Day veterans returning from northern France face fresh travel problems today, with port workers at Calais …

Around 80 migrants rescued in English Channel after making risky crossing from France in small boat
7 months ago

Around 80 migrants rescued in English Channel after making risky crossing from France in small boat

Associated Press  

LONDON — Around 80 migrants were rescued at sea by British authorities on Thursday after a small boat got into difficulty while crossing the English Channel from France. The issue of how to stop migrants making the dangerous crossing across the Channel is one of the main issues during Britain’s general election campaign. The Home Office said 34 people made …

What makes Britain look so great to migrants in France?
8 months, 2 weeks ago

What makes Britain look so great to migrants in France?

The Telegraph  

Following the latest Channel tragedy on Tuesday when five people, including a seven-year-old girl, died, one local French mayor squarely blamed Britain. Jean-Luc Dubaele, mayor of Wimereux, the coastal resort in northern France from where the boat departed, said migrants were prepared to risk life and limb because they knew they would receive a warmer welcome once on UK shores. …

Dozens of migrants are brought to shore by Border Force in Dover after an overloaded boat was seen motoring away from the French coastguard off Calais
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Dozens of migrants are brought to shore by Border Force in Dover after an overloaded boat was seen motoring away from the French coastguard off Calais

Daily Mail  

Dozens of migrants were brought to shore by a Border Force vessel in Dover this morning. Border Force Ranger escort 50 migrants into Dover Docks, Kent, earlier today At around 8am this morning, the Border Force vessel brought in the group of mainly men to shore, who were seen on a gangway at the immigration processing centre at the Port …

Girl, 7, drowns as migrants attempt to cross Channel to UK
10 months ago

Girl, 7, drowns as migrants attempt to cross Channel to UK

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

French report says the UK isn’t cooperating enough to curb migrant crossings across the Channel
1 year ago

French report says the UK isn’t cooperating enough to curb migrant crossings across the Channel

Associated Press  

PARIS — The United Kingdom is not sufficiently coordinating with France in efforts to reduce the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, according to a French report that points to the “uncertain effectiveness” of illegal migration policies. The court “found that the British don’t provide usable information on the departures of small boats, and give very …

Migrant crossings of English Channel declined by more than a third in 2023, UK government says
1 year ago

Migrant crossings of English Channel declined by more than a third in 2023, UK government says

Associated Press  

LONDON — The number of migrants crossing the English Channel in 2023 fell by more than a third from the previous year, marking the first decline since current record-keeping began, the British government said. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made “stop the boats” one of his top priorities as his conservative government has pushed strict immigration laws to curb the …

More than 230 people arrive in UK in latest small boats Channel crossing
1 year, 3 months ago

More than 230 people arrive in UK in latest small boats Channel crossing

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A total of 234 people in five small boats are …

France stops fewer Channel migrants – despite £480m funding from UK
1 year, 4 months ago

France stops fewer Channel migrants – despite £480m funding from UK

The Telegraph  

France is intercepting fewer Channel migrants than last year despite a £480 million funding deal with Britain to help stop crossings, The Telegraph can reveal. Official figures show that just 13,759 – or 45.2 per cent – of migrants have been stopped by French beach patrols since January, down from 17,032 over the same period last year. The three-year £480 …

At least six dead, dozens rescued as migrant boat capsizes crossing Channel from France to England
1 year, 4 months ago

At least six dead, dozens rescued as migrant boat capsizes crossing Channel from France to England

ABC  

At least six people are dead and more than 50 have been rescued after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain capsized, local authorities said. Key points: A rescue operation was launched as dozens of migrant boats faced difficulties making the crossing The channel is a busy shipping route with strong currents, making it dangerous …

Why are migrants in small boats a heated issue in the UK?
1 year, 10 months ago

Why are migrants in small boats a heated issue in the UK?

Associated Press  

LONDON — The message to asylum-seekers from British Home Secretary Suella Braverman was stark: “If you enter Britain illegally, you will be detained and swiftly removed.” The government hopes that decisive — and divisive — measure will stop tens of thousands of migrants reaching Britain in boats across the English Channel. The British government says many of those making the …

UK aims to deport Channel migrants, but critics skeptical
1 year, 10 months ago

UK aims to deport Channel migrants, but critics skeptical

Associated Press  

LONDON — The British government said Monday it will introduce legislation to ban anyone who arrives in the U.K. in small boats across the English Channel from ever settling in the country. The government said a bill — expected to be announced Tuesday — will bar asylum claims by anyone who reaches Britain by unauthorized means, and will compel the …

U.K. aims to deport migrants who cross the English Channel
1 year, 10 months ago

U.K. aims to deport migrants who cross the English Channel

LA Times  

A group of people believed to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, aboard a Border Force vessel after a small- boat incident in the English Channel on March 6, 2023. The British government said Monday that it will introduce legislation to ban anyone who arrives in the U.K. in small boats across the English Channel from settling in …

Brexit caused small boats crisis in English Channel, report finds
1 year, 10 months ago

Brexit caused small boats crisis in English Channel, report finds

The Independent  

Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal is the primary factor in the crisis of small boat crossings in the English Channel, a new study has found. “This made it far more difficult to return any new arrivals, and numbers have skyrocketed after this deal stopped.” There were no recorded small boat crossings until 2018, and migration levels remained steady until the Brexit …

Will the latest UK-France deal to curb Channel crossings work?
2 years, 1 month ago

Will the latest UK-France deal to curb Channel crossings work?

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Work by the UK and French authorities has led to 55 serious organised crime …

France and UK sign agreement to curb Channel crossings
2 years, 1 month ago

France and UK sign agreement to curb Channel crossings

Associated Press  

PARIS — The U.K. and France signed an agreement Monday that will see more police patrol beaches in northern France in an attempt to stop migrants from trying to cross the English Channel in small boats — a regular source of friction between the two. As scores of people were picked up and brought ashore Monday by a U.K. Border …

France and U.K. sign agreement to curb English Channel crossings
2 years, 1 month ago

France and U.K. sign agreement to curb English Channel crossings

The Hindu  

The U.K. and French interior ministers signed an agreement on Monday that will see more police patrol beaches in northern France in an attempt to stop people trying to cross the English Channel in small boats — a regular source of friction between the two countries. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal would mean “for the first time, …

Channel migrants surpass 40,000 this year ahead of deal with France to curb crossings
2 years, 1 month ago

Channel migrants surpass 40,000 this year ahead of deal with France to curb crossings

The Telegraph  

The number of Channel migrants reaching the UK this year has passed 40,000 for the first time, as Britain and France are poised to announce a new £63 million deal to curb the crossings. Nearly 2,000 crossed the Channel on Saturday and Sunday in small boats, after more than a week when bad weather prevented any migrants reaching the UK. …

English Channel migrant crossings hit new single-day record: UK
2 years, 4 months ago

English Channel migrant crossings hit new single-day record: UK

Al Jazeera  

The UK government figures say the number of people crossing the English Channel from France has hit a new high. The number of people crossing the English Channel to the UK from northern France in small boats has hit a new high, according to the government in London. The UK’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that 1,295 people were detected …

Britain and France set for new £50m deal to tackle Channel migrants
2 years, 6 months ago

Britain and France set for new £50m deal to tackle Channel migrants

The Telegraph  

The UK and France are set to sign a new £50 million deal to tackle Channel migrants in the wake of a crackdown on people smugglers. Diplomatic sources said officials were working on a “multi-year” financial package that France believes could break the people-smugglers’ model. National Crime Agency chiefs said France had “stepped up” efforts to halt small boats, culminating …

Record number of migrant boats crossed the English Channel to Britain in 2021
3 years ago

Record number of migrant boats crossed the English Channel to Britain in 2021

LA Times  

People believed to be migrants are brought to Dover, in southern England, on Tuesday by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a maritime charity. At least 28,300 people packed into small boats crossed the English Channel from France to England’s southern coast in 2021, a record number that was triple the previous year’s tally. news agency based on data from Britain’s …

Refugees in France: ‘I was in the boat yesterday, I almost died’
3 years ago

Refugees in France: ‘I was in the boat yesterday, I almost died’

Al Jazeera  

Calais, France – One month after 27 people died in the deadliest refugee boat tragedy between France and the United Kingdom in recent years, asylum seekers in Calais in northern France are still desperate to make it to England. Khail, 28, from Afghanistan: ‘I forget what day or time it is here’ I left Afghanistan two years and seven months …

Camped in France, migrants renew resolve to try for England
3 years, 1 month ago

Camped in France, migrants renew resolve to try for England

LA Times  

At the makeshift camps in France near Calais and Dunkirk, migrants are digging in, waiting for their chance to make a dash across the English Channel despite the deaths of at least 27 people when their boat sank a few miles from the French coast. But everyone here — they die every day,” he said, giving a subtle nod to …

UK seeks ‘urgent’ migration talks with Europe after French snub
3 years, 1 month ago

UK seeks ‘urgent’ migration talks with Europe after French snub

Al Jazeera  

The United Kingdom’s government has announced plans for its own talks on the Channel crisis with European ministers this week as it was frozen out of a crisis meeting in France. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel was barred from the meeting after Prime Minister Boris Johnson published the text of a letter he sent to French President Emmanuel Macron setting …

Our Brexit deal is the reason Channel crossings are out of control
3 years, 1 month ago

Our Brexit deal is the reason Channel crossings are out of control

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The one big …

France, Britain spiral into crisis in wake of migrant deaths
3 years, 1 month ago

France, Britain spiral into crisis in wake of migrant deaths

Associated Press  

CALAIS, France — The already fractious relationship between France and Britain spiralled further downward into anger and incomprehension Friday, with the two erstwhile European partners at loggerheads about how to stop migrants from embarking on dangerous crossings of the English Channel that killed at least 27 people in a sinking this week. Macron’s spokesman quickly and summarily dismissed the idea, …

Channel refugee tragedy tests fragile French-UK ties, fuels fears
3 years, 1 month ago

Channel refugee tragedy tests fragile French-UK ties, fuels fears

Al Jazeera  

French President Macron has slammed UK PM Johnson over his handling of the crisis while NGOs raise alarm. Almost immediately after Wednesday’s incident, the deadliest accident on the route since the International Organization for Migration Channel began collecting Channel data in 2014, the focus shifted towards culpability, with Paris and London trading blame. “This tragedy must represent a turning point …

Channel deaths fuel UK-France tensions over migrant boats
3 years, 1 month ago

Channel deaths fuel UK-France tensions over migrant boats

Associated Press  

LONDON — The deaths of at least 27 people in the English Channel is fueling tensions between the U.K. and France over how to stop migrants from crossing the world’s busiest shipping route in small boats. Despite a pledge from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron that they would “do everything possible” to stop people smugglers …

Deaths in English Channel fuel U.K.-France tensions over migrant boats
3 years, 1 month ago

Deaths in English Channel fuel U.K.-France tensions over migrant boats

LA Times  

A group of people believed to be migrants is transported to Dover, England, via lifeboat on Thursday. Despite a pledge from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron that they would “do everything possible” to stop people smugglers from endangering lives, politicians on both sides of the channel are already blaming their counterparts for failing to prevent …

Migrant Boat Capsizes In English Channel; At Least 31 Dead
3 years, 1 month ago

Migrant Boat Capsizes In English Channel; At Least 31 Dead

Huff Post  

French police officers patrol on the beach in the search for migrants in Wimereux, northern France, on Wednesday. via Associated Press PARIS — At least 31 migrants bound for Britain died Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel, in what France’s interior minister called the biggest tragedy involving migrants on the dangerous crossing to date. Johnson said he …

French police evacuate migrants from makeshift camp
3 years, 1 month ago

French police evacuate migrants from makeshift camp

Associated Press  

GRANDE-SYNTHE, France — French police on Tuesday have evacuated migrants from a makeshift camp near Dunkirk, in northern France, where at least 1,500 people gathered in hopes of making it across the English Channel to Britain. The operation is meant to send migrants into “adapted facilities” where they are to be informed of their rights, including the possibility to request …

UK threatens to send migrant boats back to France
3 years, 4 months ago

UK threatens to send migrant boats back to France

Al Jazeera  

Border officials to be trained to force boats away from British waters as surging numbers of migrants attempt to cross channel. Home Secretary Priti Patel told French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin that stopping people making their way from France on small boats was her “number one priority”. Darmanin said the UK must honour both maritime law and commitments made to …

Calais MP warns 'nothing can stop' migrants trying to cross the Channel
3 years, 4 months ago

Calais MP warns 'nothing can stop' migrants trying to cross the Channel

Daily Mail  

Priti Patel will hold showdown talks with her French counterpart over migrant crossings today as the MP for Calais dismissed threats to withhold £54million of funding. The Home Secretary will meet Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin in London amid growing alarm at the record numbers trying to get across the Channel. Priti Patel will meet Minister of the Interior …

Thousands of asylum seekers waiting to cross English Channel amid record small boat arrivals
3 years, 5 months ago

Thousands of asylum seekers waiting to cross English Channel amid record small boat arrivals

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thousands of asylum seekers are waiting in northern France for …

Record number of migrants cross English Channel in one day
3 years, 5 months ago

Record number of migrants cross English Channel in one day

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Home Office has pledged to crack down on illegal immigration across the Channel …

Record number of migrants make risky Channel crossing to UK
3 years, 5 months ago

Record number of migrants make risky Channel crossing to UK

Associated Press  

LONDON — Figures compiled by Britain’s Press Association show that at least 430 migrants made the perilous journey across the English Channel to the U.K. on Monday, a new record for a single day. PA reported Tuesday that the figure surpasses the previous high of 416 set in September 2020 and comes despite a vow from Britain’s Home Secretary to …

Britain hands France £53m to combat surge in Channel migrants as over 700 reach UK in two days
3 years, 5 months ago

Britain hands France £53m to combat surge in Channel migrants as over 700 reach UK in two days

The Telegraph  

Britain last night handed the French an extra £53 million to combat the surge in Channel migrants as more than 700 overran Border Force and reached the UK in just two days. RNLI rescue craft, coastguards, fishing vessels and even a TV crew on a hired boat yesterday helped Border Force vessels deal with the record numbers of migrants crossing …

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