'We cannot welcome all the misery in the world': Fewer migrants stopped by French authorities in 2023 than 2022

12 September 2023, 11:51

By Jasmine Moody

French authorities have let more migrants cross the channel this year compared to 2022, despite a £480 million deal from UK taxpayers.

Some French border authorities allowed more migrant families to cross the Channel to the UK in 2023 compared to 2022.

Figures gathered by The Telegraph show that French authorities have stopped 45.2 per cent of migrants since January, compared to 45.8 per cent in 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunk and President Emmanuel Macron created the three-year deal back in March to aid France's efforts to stop the boats.

Some of the funds will contribute to increasing patrols and enhancing the technology found along the beaches.

As well as financial aid, the deal also included building a new detention centre.

A police officer from the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité division admitted: "We don't stop the migrants."

He also admitted how one migrant family "touched his heart", resulting in him letting the family go.

He said: "When I see those migrant families I just want to let them be - I should not say that - but we cannot welcome all the misery in the world in France."

He told the Express his unit’s priority was “security”, rather than border protection.

Read more: Channel migrant crossings hit new daily record for 2023 as 872 people cross on 15 small vessels

Read more: More than 20,000 migrants have already crossed the Channel in small boats this year

Conservative MP David Jones reacted by condemning the lack of action by French forces.

He said "President Macron must now intervene.

"He should instruct his lackadaisical gendarmes to do the job they are paid to do and start policing the beaches properly.

"Alternatively, he should immediately return the hundreds of millions of British taxpayers' pounds he has been so happy to accept."

A Home Office spokesperson said the "overwhelming" majority of forces do comply but they "will look into any reports that small minorities are falling short of the standards expected on both sides."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We're in no doubt on both sides there is certainly more we can do.

"Obviously, we are in touch with our French counterparts about taking further action to prevent crossings."

They added that the number of crossings are lower than in 2022 is "notable and significant."

Shadow Home Secretary calls out the UK-France immigration deal

So far in 2023, 23,103 migrants have crossed the Channel, including 2,000 arrivals that occoured from the 4th of September to the 10th of September, according to data analysed from PA.

Comparatively, before the 2022 crackdown, around 27,000 migrant crossings were recorded.