France has made its first sea interception targeting small boats carrying illegal migrants to the UK. On Saturday, French officers boarded a "taxi-boat" on the Aa canal in Gravelines, near Calais. This is part of a new policy agreed in July 2025 to stop migrant crossings by sea. The operation showed several men on an inflatable dinghy with the police launch alongside. The inflatable was then towed to the dock. French officials did not comment, citing an ongoing judicial investigation. Until now, French police only stopped boats before they launched on beaches, avoiding risks of sea operations. But smugglers used "taxi-boats" to pick up migrants already in the water, making it harder to stop crossings. A French official document said this method had an 81% success rate in 2025. Migrant numbers reaching the UK rose from 36,566 in 2024 to 41,472 last year. After concerns about life risks and legal issues delayed action, France now intervenes only before boats pick up migrants, not after they are fully loaded. In Saturday's case, police suspected the inflatable was about to collect migrants and arrested the men on board before that happened.