France’s border chief has admitted his country needs to step up and help with small boat crossings as migrant numbers hit new records. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the European country would consider sending migrants back from Britain, sending a clear message they should not risk their lives making the treacherous journey.

France has been under mounting pressure to halt the stream of migrants crossing the Channel, with calls for the country’s navy to stop escorting boats across busy shipping lanes. Mr Retailleau told The Sun: "We have to deal with the crossings." The Interior Minister admitted to the French authorities only saving people at sea without taking risks. He said: "I've seen a number of videos where the taxi boats come close to the coast to pick up the migrants in water that's not very deep, and I think that our gendarmes cannot intervene."

Last month, French authorities refused to intervene with a cramped boat holding 60 migrants in French waters, instead calling Border Force for help. After following the vessel for four hours, the country’s navy radioed UK authorities, with one witness describing it as "a complete taxi service" escorting migrants to British waters.

The border chief has also suggested a bilateral agreement between the two countries as many migrants in the UK “don’t come back”. He pointed to other European nations cracking down on smuggling routes, highlighting Belgium and Germany.

6,000 migrants have arrived in the UK in 2025, Home Office figures show. In March alone, 4,586 crossed the Channel, marking the highest figure recorded in the first six months of a calendar year.

Sir Keir Starmer has urged more than 40 countries to tackle smuggling gangs during an immigration summit in London this week. He said it gave asylum seekers "false hope”, explaining there was "nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye" to the crisis.

However, Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt's pledge to only halve arrivals has been branded "defeatist nonsense" by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp. Reform UK MP Lee Anderson echoed the criticism, saying: "Martin Hewitt is a pathetic excuse for a Border Security Commander. He was hired to do a job but has now pledged to do only half of it."