By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-08-19 11:05:38 | Updated at 2026-08-19 11:13:18
17 minutes ago
More Britons back standing up to France to curb migrant crossings than deeper cross-Channel cooperation, new polling has revealed.
The bombshell survey, conducted by YouGov, found 41 per cent of Britons believe the UK is more likely to solve the migrant crisis by standing up more forcefully to France.
Meanwhile, 35 per cent suggested pursuing a closer relationship with France to halt small boats.
Labour continues to pay the French authorities hundreds of millions of pounds in an attempt to curb crossings, with the "one-in, one-out" deal supposedly acting as a deterrent to those wanting to make the perilous 21-mile journey.
However, GB News revealed earlier this year that the overall bill footed by taxpayers in payments to France now stands at at least £1.4billion.
Despite costs spiralling since 2018, the Home Office consistently rejects GB News's requests for information on the transaction, including a breakdown of payments.
Reform UK and the Tories have both called on the Home Office to suspend payments until French authorities bring attempted crossings under control.
YouGov's polling also found that Reform UK and Tory voters were the most likely to believe it is time to stand up to France.
More Britons believe the UK should stand up to France
GB NEWS
The figure stood at 79 per cent among those who voted for Reform UK in 2024 and 67 per cent for Conservative supporters.
However, the figure slumped to just 24 per cent among both Labour and Liberal Democrat voters, dropping to 19 per cent among 2024 Green supporters.
Despite Andy Burnham and Sir Keir Starmer pointing out that there has been a 43 per cent drop in small boat crossings compared to this time last year, two-in-five Britons stated they believe there has been an increase in arrivals.
Around one in five said the figure had decreased, with an additional 21 per cent believing the figure remains about the same.
French police have come under fire for continued small boat arrivals
Mr Burnham personally credited the French authorities for the dip in arrivals witnessed this year.
Speaking to GB News, the Prime Minister said: "There is more law enforcement on the other side of the Channel in summer 2026 than there was last summer, and that has led to quite a reduction in the number of crossings.
"But that's not good enough. People will say to me, we don't want any crossings. I understand that concern.
"There are further things that we are doing, and we will keep going at this issue until we deliver that eradication that people are looking for."
However, Mihnea Cuibus, a senior researcher at Oxford University's Migration Observatory, suggested the deal with France has failed to deliver when it comes to returning small boat migrants and may come under fresh pressure as people smugglers explore launching departures from Belgium.
The £100million "one-in, one-out" deal has so far seen just 1,087 small boat migrants return to France, while 1,117 have been transferred to the UK.
Reform UK and the Tories have adopted hardline stances to curb Channel crossings.
Zia Yusuf, who serves as Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, intends to deploy the Royal Navy to return migrants to France.
Andy Burnham has come under pressure amid the small boat crisis
He also backs withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights and barring anyone who arrives in a small boat from claiming asylum.
The Tories' plan also revolves around leaving the ECHR, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp eyeing up 150,000 removals a year.
However, the Conservatives have also suggested they will support allies abroad to prevent illegal entry into Europe.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey wants the UK to rejoin the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, giving Britain the legal power to return small boat arrivals to the first EU country they entered and access to the EU's biometric asylum database.
