French Police Conduct First On-Water Interception of Channel ‘Taxi-Boat

French officers have carried out their first on-water interception of a “taxi-boat” used for illegal migrant crossings to the UK, marking a significant shift in enforcement tactics along the Channel coast.
The operation took place on Saturday on the Aa canal in Gravelines, above Calais. Gendarmes boarded an inflatable dinghy suspected of heading toward the sea to pick up migrants, arresting men believed to be people-smugglers. The vessel was subsequently towed to the dockside.
New Tactical Approach
The intervention follows a tactical shift agreed in November amid UK government pressure to increase operations against cross-Channel smuggling networks.
France and the UK established the new on-water intervention approach during a July 2025 summit between President Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer. Previously, French police had limited their actions to preventing boat launches on beaches, deeming sea interventions too dangerous.
However, smugglers adapted by deploying “taxi-boats” that launch from distant points, travel along coastal waters, and collect migrants wading from shore. According to official French documents, this method achieved an 81% success rate in 2025.
Rising Channel Crossings
UK arrivals from France rose from 36,566 in 2024 to 41,472 last year, though the figure remains below the 2022 peak of 45,774.
Following the July 2025 agreement, delays arose from concerns over risks to life and officer prosecution liability if migrants died during operations. Current rules restrict gendarmes to stopping “taxi-boats” before migrant loading to address those risks.
Saturday’s Operation
A photograph obtained by the BBC captures the aftermath of the operation, showing men on the inflatable alongside a police launch.
Saturday’s action aligned with protocol by targeting the boat before pickup based on suspicion of impending migrant transport.
The BBC has sought comments from French authorities on the incident.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​