France, Oct. 24 -- More than 36,800 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far in 2025, overtaking last year's total and piling pressure on a new UK-France deal meant to stop the journeys.

Migrants still set off daily from the beaches of northern France, where hundreds of people gather and wait for a chance to reach Britain.

The deal signed in July was meant to discourage crossings through a "one-for-one" system - for every migrant returned to France, another would be legally accepted into Britain.

Yet the flow has continued to rise, prompting doubts about whether the plan can deliver the results ministers expected. Deal a failure?

Only 42 migrants have been sent back to France under the deal, while 23 have receiv...