Hundreds of migrants are expected to cross the English Channel in small boats on Saturday.
At least six ships have set out from France in the first attempt to reach Britain in a week.
In the morning, French law enforcement officers watched as migrants, including children, landed on the beach at Gravelines, located between Calais and Dunkirk.
Later, photographs emerged showing government officials accompanying the boats.
France has agreed to change its rules to allow police to prevent people in the water from accessing boats, but the decision has not yet come into force, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said last week.
She is reportedly urging the French side to make changes so that their naval forces can begin operations in shallow waters as quickly as possible.
A Home Office source said: “We have established close co-operation with the French and it is important that they agree to stop these boats as soon as they are in the water, not just on the shore.”
“This vital step must now be taken to protect border security and save lives.”
The coastguard reportedly called on fishing vessels to assist a yacht and kayaks in distress in the English Channel while it responded to smaller boats.
The Coast Guard said coordinating multiple simultaneous incidents was “not unusual,” stressing that “at no point was public safety compromised.”
“As standard procedure, Coast Guard Operations Centres may contact vessels in the vicinity of an incident, including fishing vessels, to provide assistance if they are in the best position, regardless of other ongoing operations.
“This is a common practice and does not indicate a lack of search and rescue capabilities.”
The highest number of arrivals in one day this year was 825 on May 21.
This year is set to see a record number of Channel crossings, with more than 13,000 people arriving so far, up 30 per cent on last year, according to analysis of data by the PA news agency.
Sir Keir Starmer's government has promised to crack down on small boat crossings, including crackdowns on smugglers.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We are all committed to ending dangerous small boat border crossings which threaten lives and undermine the security of our borders.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
