The UK Government aims to have police remove hundreds of migrants from French beaches annually under the latest multimillion-pound Channel crossings agreement. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year £662 million deal with France in Dunkirk on Thursday.
Deal Details and Enforcement
While ministers stopped short of setting specific targets, the Home Office stated that officers will “target and detain” migrants on the French coast, with the goal of removing hundreds of small boat migrants from beaches each year. Riot police trained in crowd control tactics will be deployed to prevent migrants from entering the Channel, part of a broader strategy as Britain provides additional funding to curb crossings.
Increased Police Presence
A 50-strong squad of police officers trained in riot and crowd control will tackle violence and hostile crowds at the water’s edge. The number of officers deployed to prevent attempted journeys from northern France to Britain will rise by approximately 42% when the agreement takes effect in summer, typically the busiest period for crossings.
For the first time since the migrant crisis began, part of the funding will be conditional on reducing arrival numbers. Ms Mahmood described the deal as “landmark” and emphasised the importance of bilateral cooperation. The agreement runs until March 2029.
Financial Breakdown
The UK will provide £501 million to cover five police units and enforcement activities on French beaches, with an additional £160 million contingent on the success of new tactics. If efforts fail, the extra funding will cease after one year, the Home Office confirmed.
Detention Centre and Targeted Deportations
Approximately 200 officers will be assigned to a new detention centre in Dunkirk, set to open by year-end, focusing on deporting migrants from the top ten nationalities of those who crossed last year: Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam, and Yemen.
Additional Measures
- Enhanced drone, camera surveillance, and helicopter patrols.
- Increased deployment of police, intelligence, and military officers from 750 to nearly 1,100.
- French police will adopt new tactics against so-called taxi boats, where smugglers send a single person to sail a dinghy along the coast to pick up migrants at sea.
London and Paris had previously failed to agree on a new beach patrol deal, leading to a £2 million-per-week extension while a long-term arrangement was negotiated.
Earlier this month, a Sudanese man was charged in connection with the deaths of four migrants who drowned while attempting to cross the Channel. So far this year, over 6,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via the Channel, a 36% decrease compared to the same period last year, according to Press Association analysis.
Reactions
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated that France “shouldn’t get a single penny unless they stop the vast majority of the boats.” The Refugee Council warned that policing the Channel treats the “symptom not the cause” and will not prevent desperate people from attempting dangerous crossings. Care4Calais argued that Anglo-French beach deals lead to more migrant deaths.
