UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to intensify cooperation against illegal migration gangs during a summit at Downing Street, pledging new tactics to tackle Channel crossings, British state broadcaster BBC reported on July 9.

"We all agree that the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is, so we're bringing new tactics into play and a new intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs," Starmer said during the opening session.

The gangs mainly controlled by Iraqi, Syrian and Iranian Kurds have become a major issue for the British government, with pressure coming from the Farage-led Reform party to tackle the so-called "small boats" issue as it has been dubbed in the UK. 

Macron, speaking in English, said France shares "the same resolve to fight against illegal criminal gangs", as most boats are launched from France towards the UK.

France and the UK previously agreed to stop the boat crossings, costing the UK taxpayers. Still, it has been mostly unsuccessful due to human rights concerns about French police having to slash inflatable boats. 

The summit comes as new data shows 21,117 people had arrived in the UK via small boats by July 6, 2025, representing a 56% increase compared to the same period in 2024, IntelliNews can reveal.

British internal data reveals 38,023 people arrived on small boats in the year to March 2025, up 22% from the previous year. Almost three-fifths came from five nationalities: Afghan (16%), Syrian (12%), Eritrean (12%), Iranian (11%) and Sudanese (9%). However, those who claimed to be Syrian or Iranian were found in some cases to be Iraqis. 

"This summit will signal a step change in our partnership," Starmer said. "In uncertain times we achieve more by strengthening our relationship with our allies."

Both leaders discussed broader security challenges, with Macron noting: "We have wars and destabilisation at the moment, hence why it is important to come together."

On defence cooperation, Macron said they have "a solid history no way impacted by Brexit. However, this summit will kick start some key issues in terms of capacity."

Both leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine, with Starmer saying they must "drive Putin to the negotiation table." Macron indicated they would discuss Middle East conflicts and efforts to secure Iranian agreement to a nuclear deal.

The talks highlight continued Franco-British cooperation on migration despite Brexit, with both countries seeking new approaches to address Channel crossings that have claimed numerous lives and strained bilateral relations.

Since 2018, 94% of small boat arrivals have claimed asylum, with 56,605 granted protection status and 30,041 refused, whilst 29,373 cases remain pending.

Earlier in January, three men suspected of running a major people smuggling network from Iraq’s Kurdistan region to Britain and Europe were arrested in a joint operation between British and Iraqi security forces, marking the first such collaboration in the region.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspects, all from Sulaymaniyah, were linked to UK-based smuggler Amanj Hassan Zada, who was jailed for 17 years in November 2024.

One of the detained men, aged 38, allegedly coordinated more than a dozen yacht movements carrying 60-70 migrants each into Greece or Italy. The other suspects include a Hawala (Islamic) banker in his 40s accused of processing financial transactions and a man in his 30s believed to be a middleman gathering migrants.

"This is the next significant step in taking on the people smuggling gangs who dominate the deadly cross-Channel small boat trade," said NCA operations director Rob Jones at the time.