London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

UK to pay £55m to French border patrols to fund migrant clampdown

UK to pay £55m to French border patrols to fund migrant clampdown

Priti Patel strikes deal as number of people making voyage this year reaches 8,452, eclipsing 2020’s total

The UK taxpayer is to hand over a further €62.7m (£55m) to France to fund another clampdown on small-boat crossings of the Channel, the Home Office has revealed.

The home secretary, Priti Patel, agreed to pay the sum as part of a deal reached with the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, on Tuesday.

At least 430 people crossed the Dover Strait on Monday, a record for a single day.

On Tuesday more than 287 migrants succeeded in reaching the UK, bringing the total for the year to at least 8,452, according to available official data compiled by PA Media.

It means the number of people who have made the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats this year has passed the total for all of 2020 – with more than five months of 2021 to go.

The revelation that the UK is to pay £55m towards French border patrols is likely to anger MPs who have in the past argued that France should be responsible for the costs.

The Home Office said that as part of the deal the number of police patrolling French beaches would more than double for the second time in a year to prevent small boats from departing beaches in France.

The package also includes the following:

*  Patrols of French officers across wider areas of the northern coast between Boulogne and Dunkirk, and expanded patrols further north-west around Dieppe.

*  Deployment of wide-area surveillance technology to improve coverage of the coast of France to prevent crossing attempts, including use of aerial surveillance.

*  Investment in infrastructure to increase border security at the main border crossing points along the Channel coast.

The new agreement will come into force in the coming days.

With UK support last year, France doubled the number of officers deployed daily on French beaches, which led to France preventing twice as many crossings so far this year than in the same period in 2020.

But the Home Office said that as French interceptions had increased, organised criminal gangs had altered their tactics, moving further up the French coast and forcing migrants to take even longer, riskier, journeys.

Patel has come under increased pressure from all political parties to get a grip on the crisis. The deal with France comes as the flagship asylum bill is debated in parliament. Humanitarian groups have said the measures in the bill will do nothing to address the root causes of Channel crossings.

Despite the surge in such crossings, the UK continues to receive far fewer boat arrivals and asylum claims than many of its European counterparts.

At least 44,230 people have arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean by land and sea so far this year, according to data from the UN high commissioner for refugees.

Despite the sharp rise in small-boat arrivals on England’s south coast, asylum applications in Britain fell in 2020 to 29,456. This was significantly fewer than the 93,475 asylum applications made in France and the 121,955 in Germany.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×