US EditionUK and France strike new £662m small boats deal
The deal adds conditional payments, more officers and new surveillance as both governments seek to disrupt smuggling networks and reduce arrivals.
- On Wednesday, the United Kingdom and France finalized a three-year, £662 million border security agreement to curb illegal Channel crossings, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set to sign the deal.
- This arrangement replaces a 2023 funding deal that expired earlier this year, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces political pressure to reduce immigration following record-high crossing figures in 2025.
- Under the new pact, the United Kingdom will fund nearly 1,100 personnel, including riot-trained units and maritime officers, with approximately £160 million contingent on measurable French results.
- The Refugee Council stated ministers were "treating the symptom, not the cause," while Conservative MPs accused the government of handing over taxpayer funds without sufficient conditions.
- France will deploy advanced surveillance systems including drones and helicopters, with the agreement aiming to increase law enforcement presence to 1,400 officers by 2029.
98 Articles
98 Articles
Police officers trained for riot interventions will be sent to the beaches of France, as part of a new £662 million agreement with the UK, intended to stop illegal migrants from crossing the Channel, BBC announces. British Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood signed the agreement on Thursday...
The UK and France have signed a new agreement to curb irregular crossings across the English Channel: Paris is expected to deploy significantly more security forces than before, London will pay more money.
France and Great Britain have once again agreed an agreement to tackle irregular migration through the English Channel.
According to official data in 2025, some 41,000 boat migrants crossed the English Channel from France to England. To curb illegal crossings, an agreement now provides for payments from London to Paris of up to £660 million.
After months of negotiations, France and Britain have agreed to renew the Sandhurst Treaty for the next three years. The agreement, initially signed in 2018 and first extended in 2023, will remain in force until 2026. Under the new terms, British authorities will be able to provide up to 766 million euros over three years, including a "flexible part" of 186 million euros, depending on the effectiveness of the measures implemented. This means tha…
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