Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has criticized the UK government's £662 million deal with France aimed at preventing migrant crossings, after witnessing an incident where French gendarmes reportedly refused to intervene as migrants waited to board small boats.
Philp, who was observing migrant activity from Hardelot-Plage in northern France, stated that gendarmes informed him they had orders "not to intervene." He posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, alleging that non-governmental organizations were actively assisting in what he described as illegal immigration.
"I just spoke to the group of gendarmes here and one of them told me on camera their orders are not to intervene," Philp said in the video. "There are lots of NGOs [non-governmental organisations] here who have been actively helping and facilitating the illegal immigration. The migrants are now waiting in the water."
Philp claimed that approximately 100 migrants were waiting for a "taxi boat" believed to be traveling from Dieppe. He also stated that he was near the migrants, described as predominantly young men from sub-Saharan Africa. "Shabana Mahmood's deal with the French is not working," Philp added.
Philp's comments come as the Labour government, which took office after the previous Conservative government, scrapped the Rwanda asylum deal. Labour had opposed the agreement during the two years it took the Conservatives to secure its legal approval.
Labour's strategy has focused on increased police and law enforcement operations to disrupt trafficking gangs. While the initial impact was limited, with the second-highest number of crossings recorded last year, this year has seen a significant decrease. As of late July 2026, there had been 13,350 arrivals, a 45 percent drop compared to the same period in the previous year. Officials attribute this reduction to factors including sustained strong winds in the Channel during winter and spring, as well as successful police operations against traffickers.
