The UK government has agreed to pay France an additional £660 million over three years to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel. The deal, to be signed on Thursday by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, includes funding for a 50-strong riot squad trained in crowd control tactics to 'contain and disperse' people attempting to board small boats.
The agreement will see 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers deployed, a 40% increase, to target smuggling gangs and intercept migrants. UK cash will fund equipment such as batons, shields and teargas for the riot squad. The previous £478 million deal collapsed on 31 March after protracted negotiations over costs.
Charities have criticised the plans. Sile Reynolds of Freedom from Torture called it a 'deeply alarming' escalation, warning that heavy-handed tactics would harm people who have already endured state violence. Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council said policing alone would not stop desperate people from turning to dangerous crossings without safe routes to the UK.
The deal includes a baseline package of about £500 million for enforcement on northern French beaches, plus £160 million for 'new approaches', though details are unclear. In the first year, the UK will spend £50 million; if no impact is seen, the remaining £110 million may be withheld in what the government calls the first 'payment-by-results' scheme for Channel crossings.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the agreement would 'ramp up intelligence, surveillance and boots on the ground to protect Britain's borders'. Mahmood described it as a 'landmark deal' to stop organised immigration crime and save lives.
