French officials say migrants are now using beaches further south and west of Calais and Dunkirk to cross the Channel, which puts them on longer and riskier journeys. One vessel departed from Normandy last week and was at sea for more than 30 hours before it was stopped and brought to Dover by Border Force.
Departures moving south
Authorities in neighbouring Seine-Maritime say there have already been 58 attempts this year, up from 30 last year. These locations are nearly 80 miles (128 km) from the beaches where many small boats have crossed in recent years.
The local government representative in Seine-Maritime, Audrey Baconnais-Rosez, said the number of attempts to cross the Channel has risen, and she noted that the crossings are moving father and farther away from northern France. She also said that authorities manage to stop half of the attempts.
More gendarmes are now guarding the coast from Dieppe all the way toward the Le Havre region. According to Baconnais-Rosez, there are currently around 50 gendarmes posted along the shore, with close to 20 police officers stationed in Dieppe and the nearby vicinity.
Baconnais-Rosez on Newhaven
Some smugglers continue to try using ferries to reach Newhaven in Sussex, according to Baconnais-Rosez.
“We are still intercepting them and we are bringing them to justice as well,” she added.
The dangers of longer voyages
Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, has suggested that the disruption of boat launches by law enforcement in northern France could explain the new departure points. He pointed out that starting so far from the intended destination is not ideal for the vessels, with some crossings stretching to around 50 miles (80km) or longer.
A marine safety consultant named David McFarlane has said that ships undertaking longer voyages face a greater chance of running into dangerous sea conditions. He pointed out that low pressure systems can form above the Atlantic, which can produce swells and waves reaching 3.5m (11ft) in height in the Channel.
A boat carrying migrants left the Cherbourg area earlier this month, and when it arrived near the Isle of Wight, lifeboats were waiting to meet it.
The numbers so far
Up to now, 2026 has seen 19,135 individuals cross the Channel, which stands below the 32,188 who managed it during the corresponding time in 2025. The decline amounts to about 40%.
On Wednesday, 781 migrants arrived in 10 small boats, the highest number for a single day this year, according to Home Office figures.
| Year | Arrivals so far | Day high |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 19,135 | 781 |
| 2025 | 32,188 | Not given |
The government’s review
A review was ordered last week by the Home Secretary following two migrant vessels reaching the Kent coast without being intercepted. Speaking on the matter, Tony Smith, the former director general of Border Force, said smugglers will keep adapting their tactics.
The man argued that each successful landing delivers a message to the next person waiting on a French beach: that the attempt is worth making.
Since the election, joint work has stopped more than 48,000 people from trying to cross and taken hold of 1,100 vessels and engines, according to a Home Office spokesperson. The spokesperson also said that the count of small boat crossings has fallen greatly this year and sits at its lowest point for July since 2020.
The spokesperson announced a payment-by-results arrangement with the French, which would place 40% more personnel on French shores, alongside a surge unit of 45 extra officers for western coastal districts.
“The number of attempts to cross the Channel has increased in number and it is getting further and further from the north of France.”
What the figures show
There is evidence that the surge in efforts in Seine-Maritime signals the trend moving southward. Officials cite record levels of policing as the cause, yet the traffickers have demonstrated their capacity to adapt their methods. Prolonged journeys represent a strategic adjustment rather than an admission of defeat.
The numbers from Baconnais-Rosez show that officials are blocking half of the efforts to enter, and that figure appears worth sustaining.
Source material: “Migrants using longer, more dangerous routes across Channel,” the BBC.
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