Channel crossings are increasingly starting from beaches further south and west of Calais and Dunkirk, according to French authorities, as people attempting to reach the UK use longer small boat routes.
One boat that departed from Normandy last week spent more than 30 hours at sea before it was intercepted and taken to Dover by Border Force. Although departures from Normandy remain relatively uncommon, authorities in the Seine-Maritime region say they have recorded 58 attempts this year, compared with 30 last year.
Channel Crossings Spread Along French Coast
The change comes despite an overall fall in small boat arrivals in the UK during 2026. The wider coastline being used for attempted Channel crossings, however, appears to be expanding as French authorities increase efforts to prevent departures around the traditional launch areas.
Earlier this month, another migrant boat was met by lifeboats from the Isle of Wight after setting off from the Cherbourg area. Cherbourg is nearly 80 miles, or 128km, from the beaches that have been used for many crossings in recent years, meaning people aboard such boats can face significantly longer periods at sea.
Audrey Baconnais-Rosez, the local government representative in Seine-Maritime, said attempts were increasing and moving further away from northern France. She said authorities were “managing to stop half of them”.
French officials have increased the number of gendarmes patrolling the coastline around Dieppe and towards the Le Havre area. Baconnais-Rosez said about 50 gendarmes were now operating along the coast, alongside nearly 20 police officers in Dieppe and surrounding areas.
She also said smugglers continued trying to use ferries travelling to Newhaven in Sussex. “We are still intercepting them and we are bringing them to justice as well,” she said.
Longer Small Boat Crossings Raise Safety Risks
Dr Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, said it was highly plausible that the longer routes were linked to police efforts to disrupt launches in northern France.
“It’s not at all optimal for these boats to set off so far away from their intended destination,” he said. Walsh added that some journeys could be 50 miles, or 80km, rather than around 20 miles, substantially increasing the dangers faced by people aboard the boats.
Marine safety consultant David McFarlane said longer journeys also meant a greater possibility of encountering hazardous conditions. He explained that a developing low-pressure system over the Atlantic can cause swell to increase before winds strengthen.
McFarlane said this could increase seasickness and lead to dehydration. He also warned that Channel waves can reach 3.5m, or 11ft, when winds increase, raising the possibility of boats being swamped and people drowning or being exposed to the elements.
2026 Channel Crossings Remain Below Last Year
Despite concerns over longer routes, the number of people arriving in the UK by small boat has fallen compared with the same period last year. So far in 2026, 19,135 people have made the Channel crossing, compared with 32,188 during the equivalent period in 2025.
The Home Office says joint efforts with France have prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts and led to 1,100 boats and engines being seized since the election. It also says small boat crossings have fallen significantly this year, with July recording the lowest number of arrivals for that month since 2020.
However, the government ordered a review after two migrant vessels reached the Kent coast without being intercepted. On Wednesday, 781 migrants arrived in 10 small boats, according to Home Office figures, making it the highest number recorded on a single day this year.
Tony Smith, the former director general of Border Force, said smugglers would continue changing their methods. “They’re not going to give up as long as the business model continues to exist and there’s a market to bring migrants over from France,” he said.
The Home Office said a new payment-by-results agreement with France would put 40% more personnel on French beaches, while an additional 45 officers would be deployed to strengthen action in western coastal areas. French authorities have also reported increased prevention activity, including 185 small boat events stopped between 27 April and 2 August under the UK-France agreement.