French officials are providing life jackets to migrants crossing the English Channel, leading to an increase in crossings. This action is seemingly in response to previous tragedies caused by a lack of safety equipment.
A fisherman, Matt Coker, reported significantly more crossings in the last six months, suggesting a return to the higher levels seen two or three years ago. He notes that crossings now occur more frequently and under less ideal weather conditions.
Coker alleges French authorities are escorting migrants through shipping lanes, reducing the journey length, and essentially providing safe passage to the UK. This has raised concerns about it unintentionally encouraging further crossings.
The increased crossings are attributed to improved safety measures provided by the French and the more favorable weather conditions.
Fisherman Matt Coker, owner of Coker Seafishing, told Times Radio that he suspected it was due to the people smugglers failing to provide life jackets. “The French, they’re giving them life jackets now because so many of them are not getting in the boats with life jackets. I suppose... they’re trying to avoid another tragedy,” he said.
Mr Coker said he had witnessed more migrants crossing in the past six months. “It seems to have gone back to what it was two or three years ago, which is, I mean, there seems to be lots of boats all at the same time coming on every possible day,” he said.
“Whereas before that, it did seem to… slow up to just a few boats a day and it was only when the weather was perfect. Now they seem to be leaving the beaches, I suppose, you know, more often.”
He said the French were giving migrants safe passage to the UK. “The French are actually escorting them through the shipping lane to give them a safe passage. And they’re only making half the journey now. So... I suppose it is safer, but it almost seems to me like it might be encouraging the problem as well,” he said.
“It’s safer for you to cross the Channel now than it’s ever been because you’ll have an escort from when you leave the beach and you’ll be given safe passage and you’ll only have to make half the journey because the UK Border Force will be waiting on the border to pick you up, rather than waiting well within UK waters.”
More than 6,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to Britain so far in 2025.
The rate of migrant Channel crossings under Sir Keir Starmer had been higher than under any of his Conservative predecessors.
But just five people have been convicted of piloting small boats to Britain this year.
At least 119 dinghies have arrived in Britain from France in the past three months, with the numbers increasing amid warmer weather and calmer seas.
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