The UK and France sealed a deal on Monday to tackle the English Channel migrant crisis as pressure grows on the British immigration system.
After more than 40,000 Channel crossings so far this year, the two countries signed an agreement aimed at preventing people from making the perilous journey.
The UK negotiated a 40 per cent boost in the number of officers patrolling beaches in northern France.
British staff will also be embedded in French control rooms for the first time under the plans to clamp down on dangerous small boat crossings.
Further measures signed off in Paris include an investment in CCTV and dog detection teams to keep tabs on ports and plans to better equip officers with drones and night vision capabilities.
It will involve an increase in annual payments from Britain to France of £9 million, from £54m ($63m) to £63m ($74m).
The agreement was signed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman and French interior minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the move would contribute to his efforts to “grip illegal migration”, and that he was “confident” numbers would come down over time.
Meanwhile, Britain and France have agreed to step up co-operation on the issue with European partners, with a meeting of the “Calais Group” of neighbouring countries to be scheduled as soon as possible.
A new task force will also be established to address the “recent rise in Albanians and organised crime groups exploiting illegal migration routes” into Western Europe, No 10 said.
Elsewhere, joint UK-France analysis teams will seek to boost information sharing.
Lastly, the deal pledges investment in French reception and removal centres for migrants who are prevented from making the crossing to the UK.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that efforts to tackle migrant crossings always need to “adapt and update”.
Speaking on Sky News on Monday, Mr Cleverly said: “We have got to get a grip of international trade in human misery.
“We do need to work with our international partners, including France and including the countries from which these people come.”
Asked how this new deal would differ from previous pacts, he said: “We need to always adapt and update.
“We see that these people traffickers constantly change their tactics when they use technology, how they try and evade law enforcement.
“So, it’s important that we speak with our international friends and allies about updating our procedures. Also, we need to make sure that these deals continue.”
Downing Street said the increase in the number of officers patrolling beaches in northern France would “increase early detection”, while the presence of UK staff in French control rooms would boost understanding of the “threat” at hand and help inform deployments.
The boost in port surveillance is designed to crack down on migrants attempting to enter the UK by lorry.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, claimed the deal fails to address the factors behind people choosing to put themselves at risk trying to reach Britain the first place — and will therefore “do little to end the crossings”.
He called for a focus on creating more “safe routes” and working with the EU and other countries to “share responsibility” for the “global challenge”.
Mr Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron embraced at the UN climate change conference last week in their first direct encounter since he entered No 10.
More than 40,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to the UK so far this year, according to government data, with 972 people detected on Saturday in 22 boats. In 2021, there were 28,561 recorded.
The arrivals on Saturday were the first since October 31 when 46 people were detected in one boat.
Immigration Secretary Robert Jenrick has detailed action the UK plans to take at home to tackle the small boat crisis.
The idea of “Hotel Britain” must be ended to deter “asylum shopping”, Mr Jenrick wrote in an article for the Sunday Telegraph.
Migrants are to be housed in “simple, functional” spaces as opposed to “luxury” rooms, he said, claiming the country’s “generosity” towards refugees was being “abused” by people “skipping the queue”.
The Home Office minister also said Britain’s modern slavery laws must not lead to exploitation by illegitimate claimants.
Mr Jenrick also said the government intended to “bust the backlog of asylum claims” by “cutting red tape” and introducing a pilot in Leeds that “doubled” the productivity of officials.
Source: The National
Image source: PA
