UK-France relationship ‘key’ to migration, No 10 says ahead of Macron meeting

The UK’s relationship with France is “key” to tackling small boat crossings, Downing Street signalled a day ahead of Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Britain.

The French president and his wife Brigitte will be hosted by the King when they travel to the UK for a state visit on Tuesday.

During his stay in Britain, Mr Macron and Sir Keir will hold a Franco-British summit, where tackling migration is set to be a pressing issue.

Defence and security

As well as small boats crossing the English Channel, defence, security and economic growth are among the top issues on the agenda for the meeting, No 10 indicated.

Joint work with the French to tackle migration is “stronger than it has ever been”, Downing Street said, while suggesting further efforts to prevent small boats crossings will be on the agenda for the Franco-British summit.

A No 10 spokesman added: “We very much look forward to welcoming President Macron for a historic state visit this week.

“That relationship is key to a number of issues, and we expect to make good progress on a wide range of priorities, including migration, growth, defence and security, which will deliver on the interests of both the British and the French public.”

New tactics

Mr Macron’s visit comes after the tally for small boats crossings pushed past 20,000 this year, the earliest point this has happened in a calendar year since data started being recorded in 2018.

The total for 2025 currently sits at 21,117, according to PA news agency analysis of Home Office data.

Downing Street declined to say whether the French police’s use of a knife to puncture an inflatable boat last week was a sign of new tactics being employed.

The Sun On Sunday has meanwhile reported that French police have been laying nets in the water that could jam boat propellers, in an attempt to reduce the number of crossings.

But the No 10 spokesman appeared to suggest a new approach had been discussed but not yet rolled out.

He said: “We are the first Government to have secured agreement from the French to review their maritime tactics so their border enforcement teams can intervene in shallow waters.

“This is operationally and legally complex, but we’re working closely with the French. We expect this to be operationalised soon.”

Ahead of the visit, Sir Keir and Mr Macron spoke over the phone on Saturday, where they said they wanted to make “good progress” on a series of joint issues, including migration.

Sir Keir and the French President also plan to co-host a meeting of the coalition of the willing, the peacekeeping mission aimed at enforcing a future truce in Ukraine.

Downing Street insisted that the UK’s “support for Ukraine remains steadfast” when asked for an update on how planning for the mission is proceeding.