Government’s Claims on Stopping Small Boats Crossing the English Channel

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has defended the government’s efforts to prevent small boats carrying migrants from crossing the English Channel. In an interview with BBC Breakfast, he emphasized the government’s constructive collaboration with French authorities. However, it appears there is some discrepancy in the information provided.

Mr. Barclay claimed that “there’s been 40% more boats stopped by the French authorities this year than last year.” This statement does not align with currently available figures. To date, both the UK and French governments have not released data regarding the number of small boats intercepted in the current year.

In response to this, the Department of Health and Social Care clarified that Mr. Barclay had actually been referring to Home Office figures comparing 2022 with 2021 and “misspoke on the year.” These Home Office figures, published in January 2023, stated that the French authorities prevented 33,000 crossings in 2022, marking a significant increase of over 40% compared to 2021. However, it’s important to note that this data refers to individual people prevented from crossing the Channel, not the number of boats, as Mr. Barclay stated.

The Home Office also confirmed that the French authorities intercepted 1,381 boats in 2022, but comparable figures for 2021 are yet to be seen. While the number of interceptions increased from 2021 to 2022, there was a slight decrease in the proportion of people prevented from crossing. In 2022, 43% of individuals who attempted to cross the Channel in small boats were stopped, whereas approximately 50% were stopped the previous year, according to testimony from a Home Office official to Members of Parliament.

Efforts to tackle illegal migration across the English Channel have been ongoing, with the UK and France working together for several years. The UK has entered into eight agreements with France since 2014 to address this issue. In November 2022, a new agreement was reached, increasing the number of patrol officers in northern France by 40% and linking specialist officers from both countries to enhance intelligence sharing.

Critics of this agreement, including Conservative MP Tim Loughton, have argued that it falls short of addressing the problem effectively. These border security agreements with France have incurred a cost of approximately £232 million, as reported by the House of Commons Library. Additionally, £87 million has been paid to France since 2014 for border control purposes.

The UK has committed to providing further funding of £476 million to France between 2023 and 2026, as outlined in a joint UK-France declaration on addressing illegal migration. It’s important to note that all the financial figures mentioned are in cash terms and have not been adjusted for inflation.

In conclusion, the government’s claims and figures regarding efforts to stop small boats from crossing the English Channel have raised questions and discrepancies, emphasizing the need for accurate and transparent information in addressing this complex issue.

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