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Migrants anxious about new UK-France deal, but Channel crossings persist
Just one week after the UK-France migration agreement came into force, uncertainty and fear are spreading among migrants stranded on the northern French coast. Despite increased pressure, clandestine Channel crossings continue.
On the streets of Calais, 30-year-old Adnan (name changed) scrolls through his phone in search of a smuggler. "I’ll try to cross as soon as possible," he says, smiling. "Before they start arresting and sending people back."
The bilateral agreement allows the UK to return migrants who arrive by small boats back to France. In exchange, the UK agrees to take in a limited number of asylum seekers who apply through a French-based online platform. However, the logistics remain unclear—even for NGOs working with migrants.
"It's an absurd new policy and an overly complicated bureaucracy," says Gloria Ciaccio, coordinator for Channel Info Project in Calais. "Every time something like this is announced, people panic."
"No other choice"
The UK began detaining migrants arriving by boat last week. Still, Adnan says he knows someone who recently arrived in the UK and was placed in temporary accommodation. If the threat of deportation becomes real, he might reconsider and apply for asylum in France.
Others have already changed course. Walid (name changed), who arrived with Adnan, now plans to return to Egypt. “Living on the street here is too hard,” he admits.
Nearby, Mohammad Jawwad, a 45-year-old Syrian, is unsure of his next move. Though he wants to apply for asylum to access healthcare, he fears deportation to Slovenia, the country he first entered in the EU. “The process is long and without legal help, there’s little hope,” he says.
According to Ciaccio, “people still plan to cross because for many, there’s simply no other option.”
An ongoing flow
Despite tougher measures, the flow of small boats hasn’t stopped. UK charity Refugee Action warns that nearly all adults arriving by sea—except unaccompanied minors—face detention. But implementation depends on resources: detention center capacity, available return slots, and processing speed.
At dawn on Hardelot beach, French security forces monitor the coastline. A small boat with about 50 passengers slowly makes its way toward England, only half wearing life jackets. After dropping off four passengers who changed their minds, the vessel heads into the fog toward British waters.
These journeys are perilous. Between Monday and Tuesday alone, nearly 300 people were rescued from French waters. Earlier this week, a Somali woman died near Dunkirk—marking the 19th death at the Franco-British border this year.
Still, many succeed. Since the agreement took effect, over 2,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats, according to UK authorities.