UK, France sign £662m deal to curb channel crossings
The deal links some UK payments to France to performance in stopping migrants
ATT Desk Report 
The United Kingdom and France have agreed on a landmark three-year deal to curb undocumented migrant crossings across the English Channel, with the UK providing up to €766 million ($897 million) in funding — nearly a quarter of which will be paid only if the measures prove effective, reports DW, AFP and other international agencies.
Under the agreement, France will step up patrols along its coast, increasing the number of officers by more than 50 percent to 1,400 by 2029.
Key elements of the deal include:
- Deployment of law enforcement, intelligence, and military personnel on beaches in northern France
- A new 50-strong riot police unit trained in "riot and crowd control tactics" to tackle violence and "hostile crowds"
- Expanded intelligence and judicial teams, and extra maritime patrols
- Enhanced surveillance, including drones, two helicopters, and upgraded camera systems
- A new vessel and more than 20 additional maritime officers to intercept boats at sea
Rising crossings
The agreement renews the Sandhurst Treaty as London presses Paris to do more to stop the dangerous crossings. Around 41,000 people crossed the Channel from France to the UK in small boats in 2025 — the highest number since large-scale crossings were first detected in 2018.
French officials say arrivals in the UK have fallen by half since the start of 2026 compared to the same period last year, and that about 480 smugglers were arrested in 2025. The British government said joint work with France had already halted more than 42,000 attempted crossings since July 2024.
