The EU border agency Frontex is deploying patrol vessels in the English Channel for the first time to help rescue migrants who run into difficulties while attempting to cross from northern France to the United Kingdom.
The vessel operating off the French coast is supporting search and rescue operations by French ships and working with a surveillance aircraft that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency has deployed over the Channel since 2021, Frontex said on Friday.
Frontex is to deploy one Spanish vessel in September and another in October, while ships from Lithuania are planned from November until January 2027, according to the French maritime prefecture responsible for the area.
French authorities retain control of operations involving the Frontex vessels.
Frontex stressed that its role was limited to supporting French rescue operations and did not include intercepting migrants at sea.
Large numbers of migrants have for years attempted to cross the Channel in inflatable boats to reach the UK.
Smugglers have increasingly used larger vessels to carry as many people as possible on the dangerous journey.
However, the number of migrants reaching the UK across the Channel fell significantly in the first half of 2026, according to the British Home Office.
London has long sought to curb the crossings with French support and provides Paris with millions of pounds, particularly to strengthen border security.
French authorities target smugglers but generally do not stop migrants once they are at sea because of the risk of putting them in danger.
Migrants rescued at sea remain free to move around in France and sometimes make repeated attempts to cross the Channel by boat.