Macron state visit live: ‘Multiple small boat incidents’ in Channel as Starmer to agree migrant deal with France

Campaigners for refugees warned the UK-France deal would drive migrants back into the hands of gangs.

Asylum Matters executive director Louise Calvey said: “Another grubby trade in human lives will do nothing more than remove people from this country back into the hands of people-smugglers, back to French shores where they’ll face the escalating police violence that has been agreed alongside this deal- violence that will cost people their lives.

“The only way to stop people from making dangerous journeys is to give them safe routes to seek sanctuary.”

The level of co-operation with France has “never been stronger”, Downing Street has said as Sir Keir Starmer seeks to hammer out a migration deal with Emmanuel Macron.

A No 10 spokesman said he would not speculate on the details of a potential agreement and that “innovative” approaches and a “targeted international response” were needed to tackle illegal migration.

“Our co-operation with France has never been stronger,” he said.

Asked if Sir Keir Starmer still thinks the situation in the Channel is deteriorating, he said: “We’ve been consistently clear that the numbers are unacceptable.”

He welcomed the “changing tactics” of French authorities in recent weeks.

He continued: “Clearly, more work needs to be done, as I say, we will approach that, whether that is investing in border security command, whether that is working with our international allies. We’re clear that this is an international problem, cracking down on these gangs cannot be done singularly.”

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman has denied suggestions the prime minister’s migrant announcement has been upstaged by chaos in the Channel.

Border Force vessels have been sent as part of the response to multiple boats on Thursday morning, according to HM coastguard.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted on X that he was also in the Channel and saw 78 migrants, including four women and children.

And, asked whether the chaos unfolding had been upstaged slightly, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said: “I would not accept that.”

Downing Street has refused to pre-empt the prime minister’s press conference with Emmanuel Macron, but vowed Sir Keir Starmer’s migrant deal will be a “serious approach to a serious issue”.

The pair are later set to unveil the details of a “one-in, one-out” deal for small boat migrants that the PM hopes will stop them coming to the UK.

His official spokesman said he would not speculate ahead of the announcement, but said the government is “gripping the issue… it is a priority of the British people”.

And he lashed out at the previous Conservative government’s failed Rwanda deportation plan, arguing that “what is not a deterrent is spending £700m to send four volunteers”.

Border Force has intercepted a dinghy in the English Channel with 78 people on board, according to The Times.

Earlier, the UK coastguard said it was tackling “multiple incidents involving small boats”.

Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to secure a deal with Emmanuel Macron that would allow Britain to send back as many as 50 migrants a week.

But there are concerns this would be just a small proportion of those crossing the Channel.

The UK coastguard has been coordinating a response to “multiple incidents involving small boats in the Channel” this morning, a spokesperson said – as the prime minister scrambles to get a migrant returns deal with France over the line.

Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to secure a deal with Emmanuel Macron that would allow Britain to send back as many as 50 migrants a week.

But there are concerns this would be just a small proportion of those crossing the Channel.

As Downing Street talks continued this morning, a spokesperson for the coastguard confirmed that UK border force vessels had been sent to intercept a number of small boats crossing the channel.