France doubles riot police on Channel beaches but smugglers are already finding new routes further west
France is doubling its dedicated Channel beach riot unit from 50 to 100 officers, funded by the UK's £662m deal, as gangs respond by launching dinghies from Normandy — hundreds of miles west of Calais. The Home Office says over 50,000 crossing attempts have been prevented since the 2024 election, with arrivals down 42 per cent on last year's figures. Shabana Mahmood insisted the government would not be 'complacent' despite the fall. Channel crossings stand at 20,935 so far this year.
Smuggling gangs have shifted launches to Normandy's Utah Beach, triggering three Hampshire landings in a month — each costing an estimated £200,000 in policing.
The extra CRS officers will be on standby for 'red days' when weather favours crossings, with powers to stop large groups gathering on beaches before they can board.
The France-UK return agreement — Britain's first with mainland Europe since Brexit — came to an end at the start of this month, with France calling for a new EU-wide returns deal instead.