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Dr Anne Daguerre, a researcher at the university’s School of Business and Law, has spent six months interviewing local and policy experts in Dover, Dunkirk and Paris to produce an independent film exploring the political tensions and humanitarian stakes behind the UK’s ‘small boats crisis’ from a French perspective.

Titled Small Boats: The Border Conundrum, the film investigates the failures of both UK and French border policies, and how they may be worsening the situation across the Channel.

Dr Anne Daguerre

In the UK, both the current and previous governments have committed to “stop the boats” and “smash the gangs” which are facilitating the crossings. But after paying nearly half a billion pounds to French authorities to intercept the boats, the arrivals on English shores are yet to slow down.

“As a French academic living in the UK, I’ve been struck by how tense and one-sided the debate over small boat crossings has become. I wanted to explore that disconnect and bring the French perspective into a conversation that often ignores it,” Dr Daguerre explains.

Through the lenses of local French journalists, academics, industry professionals, NGOs and policy makers, Dr Daguerre tests the concerns of UK authorities while revealing the motivation of migrants who travel from the French coast, and the lengths they go to to make the dangerous journey.

Most people who cross the Channel in small boats claim asylum once they are in the UK, with that number reaching 37,000 in 2024. In the same period, there were around 16 asylum applications for every 10,000 people living in the UK – whereas mainland Europe averaged 22 asylum applications for every 10,000 people. 

The documentary questions the scale of the ‘crisis’ and urges a more grounded and nuanced approach in dealing with it.

Dr Daguerre, whose research focuses on social justice and welfare reform, said: “In reality, there is no invasion. The number of asylum applications remain relatively small in the UK, especially compared to asylum claims in France, Germany or Italy. But there is also no easy fix. The UK government, and to some extent both French and British NGOs, need to be honest about that.

“My hope is that this film creates space for a more grounded and open conversation. I want it to challenge myths, encourage people to listen to each other, and shift the focus away from blame."

The documentary arrives at a time when migration continues to dominate headlines and election debates. It offers something backed by rigorous research, lived experience, and a commitment to cross-border understanding.

The screening of Small Boats: The Border Conundrum, followed by a panel discussion and a live Q+A session will take place at the Duke’s at Komedia in ͯÑÕÊÓƵ from 6-8pm on Thursday 19 June and is .