British border guards have patrolled the English Channel along the French coast for the first time, British news agency PA reported on Monday.
The patrols, which are the result of an agreement reached between France and the United Kingdom, were launched shortly before Christmas. The members of the British Border Force were accompanied by French colleagues.
In this way, the United Kingdom and France want to prevent migrants from trying to cross the Channel into England in small boats.
“Our work with the French is vital to tackling the unacceptable rise in dangerous Channel crossings,” a spokesman for the British Home Office said.
When patrolling, British border guards act only as observers. They do not have the authority to make arrests, for example.
The United Kingdom registered a record number of boat migrants last year. According to the British Ministry of Defence, nearly 46,000 people tried to get to England in small boats.
That is about 17,000 more than the previous year.
