Negotiations for a new £650m agreement between the UK and France to curb small-boat crossings in the English Channel have reached an impasse, with the current £475m deal set to expire at midnight on Tuesday.
Sources close to the talks reveal that discussions have stalled over the conditions attached to the funding package, which would be released over three years. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has reportedly demanded stricter terms, linking payments to France achieving a specific interception rate of migrant crossings. Currently, French authorities intercept 33% of crossings, with Home Office figures showing only 2,064 of 6,233 crossings were stopped.
France’s General Secretary for the Sea, Xavier Ducept, warned against making funding conditional on interception rates, stating it could “endanger lives.” Meanwhile, British negotiators have rejected French requests to pay salaries at a new migrant detention centre in Dunkirk, which was agreed under the 2023 deal but has faced repeated delays due to planning issues. The UK insists the centre must be completed this year as a condition of any new agreement.
A French interior ministry source claimed “negotiations have failed,” but the Home Office denied this, saying talks between officials are ongoing and ministers have not yet been involved. A Home Office spokesperson emphasised the importance of the partnership, noting that over 40,000 crossing attempts have been prevented since the government took office.
