London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 07, 2026

UK and France agree deal to tackle rise in Channel crossings

UK and France agree deal to tackle rise in Channel crossings

France will double the number of police patrolling its beaches as part of a deal with the UK to stem the number of migrants crossing the English Channel.

The UK will pay more than £54m as part of the deal agreed between ministers in London and Paris.

The Home Office said the two countries would also improve intelligence sharing and use better technology to target those who organise the crossings.

On Monday at least 430 migrants crossed the Channel - a record for one day.

The Home Office said on Tuesday 287 people had landed in the UK.

The previous daily high of 416 was set in September last year. Already this year, 8,460 people have reached the UK, which is almost equal to the total number who made the crossing in the whole of 2020.

On Tuesday, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and French interior minister Gerald Darmanin agreed to "strengthen co-operation".

The Home Office said UK support last year helped France double the number of officers deployed daily on the beaches of its northern coast.

It said this resulted in France preventing twice as many crossings so far this year compared with the same period in 2020.

However, it said the people who facilitated the crossings had now changed their tactics and had moved further up the French coast, "forcing migrants to take even longer, riskier journeys".

The new support announced by the UK would enable France "to respond by posting more security forces further up the coast, installing and utilising the latest surveillance equipment throughout northern France", the Home Office said.


Ms Patel has previously pledged to make Channel crossings "unviable", with new legislation that will make it a crime to knowingly arrive in the UK without permission.

The Nationality and Borders Bill, which is currently being considered by MPs, will mean migrants entering without permission could face up to four years in prison.

The government hopes the overhaul of asylum rules will deter migrants from making the crossing.

But the plans have been criticised by charities including Refugee Action, which has called them "extreme and nasty".

Dan O'Mahoney, clandestine channel threat commander, said: "There is an unacceptable rise in dangerous small boat crossings across the Channel because of a surge in illegal migration across Europe.

"People should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and not risk their lives making these dangerous crossings. We are continuing to pursue the criminals behind these illegal crossings."

He added that the Nationality and Borders Bill would "protect lives and break this cycle of illegal crossings" and the government was continuing to return those with no legal right to remain in the UK.

But Amnesty International's Steve Valdez-Symonds told the BBC the new legislation was an "extremely reckless and dangerous response" to the issue and would not tackle the problem of people smugglers.

Instead, he said it was likely to drive desperate people to avoid the authorities, leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation and slavery.

Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Home Office announcement was "yet more empty words from the Conservatives about agreeing a deal with France to address trafficking gangs".

He said ministers promised a plan with France in August 2020, "yet almost a year later they are still making empty promises, letting down victims, and allowing criminals to continue their evil trade".



The BBC's Jon Donnison spoke to some of the migrants trying to make the dangerous journey


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
UK Rejects Calls to Pause AI Data Centre Expansion Despite Energy Concerns
UK Defence Figures Push for 3% Spending Target Amid Falklands Concerns
England Faces Rising Financial Pressure as Special Educational Needs Plans Surge
Metropolitan Police Consider Reform UK Probe Over Overseas Donations
Keir Starmer to Leave Parliament, Triggering By-Election
UK Treasury Weighs Windfall Taxes on Banks and Oil Companies Amid Bond Market Turmoil
Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Thousands of Jobs as UK Government Rules Out Bailout
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
Gen Z Turns to Investing as America's First-Home Dream Moves Further Out of Reach
Thousands Join London March Calling for Tighter Abortion Restrictions
Institute of Directors Says Tax and Regulatory Uncertainty Still Weighs on UK Investment
Bank of England Faces Rate Dilemma as Weak Growth and Persistent Inflation Raise Stagflation Risks
Masked Anti-Immigration Protesters Block Roads to Port of Dover
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Devolution and Re-Industrialisation Agenda
British Chambers of Commerce Forecasts UK Growth of Just 1% Through 2027
UK Government Advances Bill to Tighten Rules on Overseas Political Donations
Nigel Farage Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Reform UK Donation-Law Evasion
Thousands Join Anti-Abortion March Through Central London
UK Beekeepers Call for Nationwide Tracking as Asian Hornet Sightings Increase
England Sees Sharp Rise in Property Subsidence Claims After Record Summer Heat
House of Lords Advances Financial Services Reform Bill
House of Lords Begins Detailed Scrutiny of Railways Bill and Great British Railways Plan
UK Treasury Cuts Green Book Discount Rate to Support More Regional Infrastructure Projects
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Aides After Undercover Report on Foreign Donation Rules
UK Chancellor Warns Autumn Budget Will Require Tough Choices as Energy Shock Squeezes Public Finances
UK Parliament Raises Concerns Over Funding Structure of £400 Million Tropical Forest Initiative
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North as Part of UK Devolution Push
UK Reaffirms Falkland Islands Sovereignty Amid Renewed Regional Pressure
Andy Burnham to Abstain From Assisted Dying Vote as Ministers Are Told to Remain Neutral
Kemi Badenoch Sacks Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride in Conservative Economic Strategy Shake-Up
UK Government Drops Early Prisoner Release Plan in Favor of Deportations and Wider Prison Reform
UK Farmers Warn Drought-Hit Harvests Could Push Grocery Prices Higher
UK Economy Faces Persistent Stagflation Risks Ahead of October Budget
Masked Protesters Block Port of Dover Roads, Disrupting Cross-Channel Traffic
Reform UK Suspends Senior Officials After Undercover Investigation Into Foreign Donation Plans
UK Urges Households to Keep Emergency Supplies Amid Severe El Niño Warning
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Regional Industry and Prison Reform Agenda
Siemens Energy Wins Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor Manufacturing Contract
UK Mortgage Costs Rise as Gilt Yields and Swap Rates Climb
×