France has rarely intervened in shallow water on the beaches because of what it claims is risk to the migrants' lives. The French have also set up a new elite police unit, which has intercepted people-smugglers on "taxi boats" before they pick up migrants from the beaches. The Home Office wrote on X: "We are aware of posts circulating online that claim French law enforcement are failing to prevent small boat Channel crossings. But overall boat crossings are down, down quite significantly year-on-year, so that does suggest that the plan is working," he said. A Home Office spokesman said: "This Government is bearing down on small boat crossings, with removals of small boat migrants at record levels and asylum claims down by 12 per cent.