A surge in small boat crossings was witnessed off the coast of northern France on Tuesday, as at least ten dinghies reportedly launched from beaches near Hardelot-Plage, approximately 40 miles south of Calais. The activity could result in up to 700 migrants reaching the United Kingdom, marking the busiest day for Channel crossings so far this year.

Among the migrants was Morzhan, a woman from Mashhad in north-eastern Iran, who was separated from her husband Ali and their 10-year-old son Pedram during the chaotic boarding of an overcrowded 26-foot inflatable boat. After being retrieved by lifeboat crews, Morzhan saw the dinghy had run aground on a sandbank about 500 meters away. She waded into the water and was ultimately able to rejoin her family despite initial resistance from some passengers concerned about the overcrowding.

Once freed from the sandbank—after men on board were whipped by the people smuggler and forced to push the vessel—the dinghy resumed its journey toward UK waters. The smuggler abandoned the boat near a waiting French naval vessel, avoiding potential prosecution in Britain for piloting migrants across the Channel.

French gendarmes surveilled the departures but refrained from intervening once the boats were at sea. Officers cited a lack of authorization from the French government to intercept migrants in open waters, pointing to concerns about safety and international maritime law. “Our order is to let them go,” one officer stated, despite acknowledging the migrants’ desperation. The gendarmes also noted they could not act while migrants remained on the beach, as standing onshore is not illegal.

The apparent limitations of the recently signed UK-France agreement, a £660 million pact meant to enhance joint patrols along the coast, have come under scrutiny. The deal authorizes French police to stop migrant boats only if they carry fewer than 20 passengers and only when executed by the specialist Compagnie de Marche unit, which consists of roughly 50 officers trained in riot control. On the day of the crossings, an official from the UK Home Office described the absence of these units on the ground as “frustrating” and “far from ideal.”

Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, criticized the French authorities’ inaction, calling for Britain to withhold funding. “I saw gendarmes doing nothing… they told me they had orders to take no action but just talk to the migrants,” Philp said.

Meanwhile, the UK Home Office emphasized that two-thirds of attempted crossings were prevented in May, attributing the success to the bilateral agreement. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, also voiced support for the deal, stating on Tuesday that “the plan is working” in targeting people smugglers. By the end of Tuesday, around 13,500 migrants had arrived in the UK by small boats in 2026, representing a 44% decrease compared to the same period last year.

Earlier in the morning, around 5 a.m., heavily armed French gendarmes conducted patrols in the sand dunes south of Hardelot-Plage, using military-grade equipment funded partly by British contributions. Officers tracked suspected people smugglers and prepared to disrupt launches by slashing inflatable boats. However, a drone reconnaissance revealed that many migrants were asleep awaiting instructions from smugglers.

Among the migrants were individuals from Iran and Eritrea, some of whom had journeyed for months through Libya and the Mediterranean before reaching France. Many had spent the previous 24 hours camping in wooded areas near the dunes, ready to board when signaled. By midmorning, groups wearing lifejackets were seen walking several miles to their departure points. Later that day, one overcrowded dinghy carrying approximately 100 migrants departed, risking a dangerous crossing of the Channel to reach the UK.