French cops pictured in buggies paid for by UK but still can't stop migrant boats
French police have been pictured driving around on buggies paid for by the UK, as the number of migrant arrivals hit a record 20,000 this year.
French police have been spotted parading around on buggies paid for by the UK, as the country dails to stop the migrant boats that have reached a record high of 20,000 since the start of 2025 alone. On Monday alone (June 30), 879 boats reached British shores, the third biggest daily total this year.
Critics, including Nigel Farage, have said that the £500 million of taxpayers' money that has been given to France has only turned its beaches into "the world's most expensive sieve". Patrols at Gravelines near Dunkirk and Équihen, west of Calais, were pictured with jeeps, quad bikes and drones on the sand on Tuesday as more dinghies prepared to launch. The migrant crisis is now 48% worse than the same time last year, and 75% higher than in 2023, Home Office figures have revealed.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Record numbers of young undocumented males have crossed this year thanks to French beaches being the world’s most expensive sieve — this is a disaster for the country.
“They are costing us money, making us less safe, and they bring a terrorist threat.
“This will only get worse under the weakest Prime Minister I have ever seen.”
Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are due to meet in London next week to tackle the crossings. The UK first signed a deal with France under the previous government, with around £500 million committed to extra patrols, surveillance drones, vehicles and riot vans. The Prime Minister has extended this commitment.
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However, the Conservatives have branded the plan a "fantasy" and demand that their Rwanda scheme be reinstated. According to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip, the bats have become "a free-for-all".
“One year into Labour’s government and the boats haven’t stopped, they’ve multiplied," he added. “We need a removals deterrent so every single illegal immigrant who arrives is removed outside Europe.
“The crossings will then rapidly stop.”
The Ministry of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that legal aid fees for immigration and asylum cases will rise by 30%, marking the first increase in almost 30 years. The taxpayer bill is expected to jump by as much as £20 million a year, with lawyers receiving higher fees to take on cases.
These pictures comes as Abdullah, 19, from Somalia, told the Express that he wants to board a dinghybecause he dreams of playing football for Liverpool FC. Additionally, migrants are reportedly also being offered free eye tests, dental treatment, and wigs from the NHS, while the general British public pays for their treatment. An NHS letter was discovered outside an asylum hotel that revealed that the migrants are entitled to free wigs.
