UK, France Agree 3‑year Deal to Curb Channel Crossings
For the first time, the deal links some UK payments to France to performance in stopping migrants.
For the first time, the deal links some UK payments to France to performance in stopping migrants. Funding will be halted after one year if targets are not met.The United Kingdom and France have agreed on a new three-year deal to curb undocumented migrant crossings in the English Channel.
Under the agreement, France will step up patrols along its coast, increasing the number of officers by more than 50% to 1,400 by 2029, while the UK will provide up to €766 million ($897 million) in funding.
Almost a quarter of the money will be paid only if the measures prove effective.
The UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez were expected to sign the three-year agreement in France on Thursday.
What will the UK-France new border security deal cover?
The deployment of law enforcement, intelligence and military personnel on beaches in northern France
A new 50-strong riot police unit, expanded intelligence and judicial teams, and extra maritime patrols
Enhanced surveillance, including drones, two helicopters and upgraded camera systems
A new vessel and more than 20 additional maritime officers to intercept boats at sea
Small-boat crossings up in 2025
The agreement renews the Sandhurst Treaty, as London presses Paris to do more to stop the dangerous crossings.
Around 41,000 people crossed the Channel from France to the UK in small boats in 2025, the highest number since large-scale crossings were first detected in 2018.
This has prompted criticism from the UK that France was doing too little to prevent undocumented migrants from setting off from French shores, with smugglers and migrants taking ever-greater risks to avoid detection.
French officials say arrivals in the UK have fallen by half since the start of 2026 compared with the same period last year, and that about 480 smugglers were arrested in 2025.
The British government said joint work with France had already halted more than 42,000 attempted crossings since July 2024.
Edited by: Karl Sexton
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2026 06:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).