French police intercepted 185 small boats in the first three months of a new deal with the UK, figures released by Britain’s Home Office show.
The action included stopping launches, seizing equipment, including boats, engines and lifejackets, and arresting people smugglers.
The UK agreed to pay France £660 million ($891 million) under a three-year agreement signed in April to tackle people smuggling, which will involve payment based on results for the first time.
Video released by the Home Office shows French police officers driving across a beach in Jeeps to stop the launch of a boat being carried by migrants.
When the police disembarked, some migrants taunt the officers and throw objects at them. One of the officers appears to respond with pepper spray before others move in to disperse the migrants and slash the rubber hull of the boat.
According to information from the French authorities, officers prevented what are described as 185 small boat events involving 4,300 migrants between April 27 and August 2.
In that period were four weeks, during which French authorities intercepted every potential illegal Channel crossing.
The Home Office said 61 per cent of all small boat events were stopped in the three months, but admitted this amounts to a prevention rate increase of only 5 per cent compared to the same time period in 2025.
Charlie Eastaugh, director of maritime and small boats at Border Security Command, said the UK and France “are piling the pressure on the criminal gangs and preventing these illegal and dangerous crossings”.
"French officers are not shy in taking bold action to prevent these launches where it is safe and lawful to do so," he added. "They work in difficult and dangerous conditions to stop boats launching, seize equipment and disperse large migrant groups, as well as saving thousands of lives at sea.
"Our joint efforts are delivering results and we will go further still to restore control of our borders, and put these smugglers out of business."
The French action has included intercepting and boarding 12 taxi boats, which are operated by human-trafficking gangs and are sailed along the coast to pick up people at designated spots before attempting the crossing.
The latest figures show 15,897 illegal migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year, down by around 40 per cent on an annual basis.
But smugglers have been adapting their methods in response to French police action and cramming more people on to each boat.
Recently, 230 migrants were seen on a so-called mega dinghy, offering a stark visual reminder that small boats remain a politically charged issue in the UK.
The right-wing populist Reform UK party said if it came to power it would intercept boats crossing the English Channel and return migrants to French ports, even if France disagreed.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said by working with France, the UK has stopped more than 47,000 crossing attempts since the Labour government came to power in July 2024.
“Our new UK-France deal is already having a real impact, stopping crossings before they happen and disrupting the criminal gangs behind them,” she said.
“People smugglers should be in no doubt - we're taking down their operations, seizing their equipment and breaking their business model for good.”
