The United Kingdom and France have reached a three-year agreement aimed at reducing undocumented crossings of the English Channel.
Under the deal, France will significantly boost coastal patrols, increasing the number of officers by more than 50% to about 1,400 by 2029. The UK will provide up to €766 million ($897 million) in funding to support the measures; nearly a quarter of that sum will be conditional and paid only if the steps prove effective. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez were expected to sign the agreement in France.
The arrangement renews aspects of the Sandhurst Treaty and concentrates resources on northern French beaches, where many small-boat departures originate. Planned measures include deploying law enforcement, intelligence and military personnel onshore; forming a 50-strong riot police unit; expanding intelligence and judicial teams; and stepping up maritime patrols.
Surveillance enhancements will add drones, two helicopters and upgraded camera systems. Authorities will also assign a new vessel and more than 20 additional maritime officers to intercept boats at sea. The bulk of the funding is earmarked for strengthened enforcement along northern French beaches.
Around 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, the highest annual total since large-scale crossings began being tracked in 2018. That surge led to UK criticism that France was not doing enough to stop departures, and officials warn that smugglers and migrants have been taking greater risks to avoid detection.
French authorities say arrivals in the UK have fallen by roughly half since the start of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, and report that about 480 suspected smugglers were arrested in 2025. The British government says joint operations with France have already prevented more than 42,000 attempted crossings since July 2024.
The new deal emphasizes coordinated action, information-sharing and on-the-ground reinforcement to disrupt smuggling networks and reduce dangerous sea journeys. Edited by: Karl Sexton