176-page report, "You can't stay but you can't go": State violence at the UK-France border, published by Humans for Rights Network
A hugely comprehensive new report was published today by the Humans for Rights Network (HfRN) examining the increasingly high levels of state violence against asylum seekers trying to cross the Channel from France to the UK via small boat.
Image credit: WikipediaYou can download the 176-page report here. A helpful, 10-page summary report can be downloaded here.
HfRN notes that 2024 was the deadliest year on record at the UK-French border, with at least 89 deaths reported, more than triple the number recorded in 2023. According to the report, NGOs and researchers documented not only increased fatalities but also an increase in non-fatal violence throughout 2024 and 2025. HfRN attributes this to expanded policing at the northern French coast, where thousands of people continue to wait for an opportunity to reach the UK.
The lengthy report is structured to guide readers through its findings: it provides contextual background on UK–France border cooperation and funding, details police violence in public spaces and transport networks, examines living conditions in Calais and Dunkirk, analyses crossing attempts by boat and lorry, and documents post-crossing experiences. It concludes with urgent recommendations, including an independent public inquiry into UK funding and border policies, ending violent policing operations, and creating safe and accessible routes to asylum in the UK.
Life at the northern French border is described as being marked by "widespread state violence largely perpetrated by police officers." The report identifies what HfRN says is a paradox at the heart of the border situation: people "cannot stay" safely in France due to the French authorities' "zero point of fixation" policy, which involves repeated evictions and the confiscation of essential items such as tents, phones, and medication. Simultaneously, they "cannot leave" safely because of a lack of authorised routes to the UK and the policing of crossing attempts.
The report highlights that violent interventions by French police at the border are endemic and indiscriminate. They occur in a wide variety of circumstances: during evictions, while travelling, and at the point of attempted crossings, sometimes involving children. Violence meted out by police includes the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and physical assaults. The French NGO Utopia 56 recorded an average of over 3 victims of police violence per day between March and September 2025 in Calais and Dunkirk. HfRN describes violence by the French police as "shockingly routine", noting that victims have no way of holding the authorities accountable.
The report states: "[T]he random use of violence to intimidate and destabilise people is clear. This violence is yet another example of the UK and French governments' policy of treating people with hostility and violence to make it impossible for them to stay in northern France or leave to go to the UK. It goes unchallenged by the authorities of either government despite their extensive knowledge of everything that happens in Calais and Dunkirk thanks to a wide network of surveillance; this represents a tacit approval of these human rights abuses."
Boat crossings, which have become the most common method of arrival from France since around 2020, are particularly hazardous. The report states that police interventions at beaches and in the water contribute to panic, overcrowding, and crush injuries, with Utopia 56 documenting an average of seven people affected by police violence linked to crossings per day in 2025. Lorry crossings are also risky, particularly for unaccompanied minors, and have resulted in multiple deaths and serious injuries each year.
The report links increased border securitisation to the growth of smuggling networks, arguing that people are forced to rely on them due to the lack of safe alternatives. It also states that UK policies intended to prevent irregular migration have not reduced crossings but have made them more dangerous. The UK government funds a portion of French policing, and has pledged at least €763.4 million to the French government to "secure" the border, though detailed accounting of how this funding is used is not publicly available.
HfRN noted: "It is clear that police violence has made boat crossings much more dangerous. …[T]his is a direct result of UK policy and funding. It is clear that the UK government must assume responsibility and work with the French government to defund and end the existence of this violence, perpetrated by state agents. However, it is also vital to consider the extent to which even the existence of small boat crossings is a result of UK policy. A lack of safe routes means people have no choice but to cross irregularly, and the securitisation of the border has meant that small boat crossings are one of the few viable methods."
For those asylum seekers who make it to the UK, HfRN says that state abuse continues, highlighting: "The UK's response to those who arrive by small boat or lorry to claim asylum in the UK is one characterised by criminalisation, adultification, hostility, totally lacking in dignity and respect of basic rights. There are no meaningful policies or practices that respond to the urgent need to safeguard those who arrive. Many of those who arrive have been subjected to extreme violence and abuse during their journeys to the UK, including torture, trafficking and modern slavery and violence at the hands of the state."
HfRN argues that the new "one in, one out" scheme between the UK and France is not a solution to the dangers at the Channel. The policy, which allows people arriving in the UK by small boat to be returned to France in exchange for those applying to enter the UK through a formal scheme, effectively traps people in a cycle where they "cannot stay but cannot leave." HfRN notes that many returned to France face unsafe conditions, including overcrowded accommodation, limited access to medical care, and barriers to legal advice, while vulnerable individuals, including survivors of torture or trafficking, are removed without proper assessment of their protection needs. HfRN also highlights that the so-called "safe route" relies on ongoing, life-threatening small boat crossings, meaning the policy perpetuates risk rather than removing it.
In concluding, the report makes numerous recommendations to protect lives and uphold human rights at the UK-France border. Key recommendations call for ending violent policing and evictions, creating safe and dignified reception conditions in northern France, and establishing secure routes for asylum in the UK. In particular, HfRN highlights three urgent measures: an independent public inquiry into the UK government's role in the rise of border violence and deaths; an immediate end to violent police operations in northern France and a halt to UK funding that enables them; and the creation of safe and accessible routes to asylum in the UK for all who need them. The report also calls for broader reforms, including transparency and accountability, independent reporting mechanisms, support for survivors of shipwrecks and failed crossings, and the repeal of laws criminalising people seeking safety, noting that these steps are essential first measures toward justice while wider international cooperation remains necessary.