A renewed agreement between the UK and France to curb small boat Channel crossings remains unsigned, with the current deal expiring on Tuesday. The delay follows demands from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for increased interceptions of dinghies by French authorities. The previous £468 million deal, announced in March 2023, saw the UK covering two-thirds of the cost of policing France's northern border.
British officials travelled to Paris last week for talks, but the Home Office said it is seeking to add “flexibility and innovation” to the agreement. The department claims to have prevented 40,000 crossing attempts since Labour took office, though 2025 saw approximately 41,500 arrivals via small boats, the second highest on record. So far this year, over 4,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats.
A Home Office source expressed concern that Mahmood's push for a performance-based deal could delay matters further, warning that security cannot simply be “bought” in France. The source noted that while some patrols would likely continue during any gap, the impact of reduced French efforts should not be underestimated.
NGOs on both sides of the Channel argue that expensive deals are ineffective. Lavanya Pallapi of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said such agreements lead to a surge in deaths, while Lachlan Macrae from Calais Food Collective called for safe asylum routes instead of more taxpayer money for French police. A Home Office spokesperson defended the partnership, citing the prevention of over 40,000 crossing attempts since the government took office.
