UK and France strike a revised Channel deal

The UK will pay France £8m extra a year to try to stop people crossing the English Channel in boats.

Credit: MSBN.com. 

By: Sam Feierabend. 

In the revised deal, UK police officers will be embedded with French police in control rooms and on beaches. The number of officers patrolling the French coast will increase from 200 to 300.

The Government is under increasing pressure to limit the number of Channel crossings, with numbers hitting record levels this year. More than 40,000 people have crossed in boats this year, up from 28,000 last year and 8,500 the year before.

Rishi Sunak has recognised that there is no single thing that can bring numbers down, but he is confident that the problem can be 'fixed'.

In the new agreement, Home Secretary Suella Braverman increased the amount that the UK pays France from £55m to £63m. This would help to cover the 40% uplift in the number of French police patrolling beaches. 

The UK will use night vision equipment and increase the usage of drones to detect boats crossing. Their French counterparts will invest in CCTV units and detective dog teams to prevent entry via lorries. 

The deal had been in discussions for a number of months, but the French Government had been reluctant to sign until there was a stable government in place. 

While this deal will not completely stop the number of boats, this will hopefully push those wanting to cross to the UK into more safe routes.