This morning's instalment of GB News, hosted by Ellie Costello and Mark White, was halted for a breaking migrant crisis alert. White began: "Some breaking news to bring you this morning, which relates to what a few of you have been messaging about. Given that we had good weather yesterday and again today, why aren't we seeing any small boat attempts in the channel?"

He continued: "Well, I can tell you as we speak, people smugglers are currently attempting to push small boats off the beaches of northern France. Two attempts have been made - and at least one small boat we have been told - has been slashed by French law enforcement." He said another boat may have made it into the water, but just with a partial load, as the presenter said it looked like the French police had intervened.

White added: "That's the very latest that we can bring you on the Channel migrant situation. There are currently attempts on the beaches of northern France by people smugglers to push more boats onto the channel this morning."

Around 4,766 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, according to the latest figures from the Home Office and Border Force.

This number represents a significant decrease - roughly 28 per cent lower - compared to the same period in 2025 when arrivals had already surpassed 6,600.

When Costello asked guest Bill Rammel what he thought of the update, he said: "I think it's welcome that the French police are taking action. It also underlines the reality that we need better negotiations with the French. There was a big negotiation last week about whether we would agree to a new big deal or roll over the existing one.

"One of the stories said that without French intervention, the number of small boat crossings would have been a third higher than they actually were. So we do need that cooperation, and we need to see results."

However, White didn't agree at all and added: "I think this issue around small boats is opaque and deliberately opaque by the Government. So when they talk about stopping the boats, what they mean is boats that actually get into the water that don't make it to the UK because they suffer engine failure or they are too overcrowded. That all gets counted with stopping the boats.

He claimed: "Actually, the number which gets stopped on the French beaches by the police is very significantly less than the 40,000 they claim have been stopped overall."