The United Kingdom and France have agreed a new three-year deal to curb undocumented migrant crossings in the English Channel.
Under the agreement, France will step up patrols along its coast, increasing the number of officers by more than 50% to 1,400 by 2029, while the UK will provide up to €766 million ($897 million) in funding. Almost a quarter of the money will be paid only if the measures prove effective. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez were expected to sign the three-year agreement in France.
The deal renews the Sandhurst Treaty and focuses on boosting enforcement on beaches in northern France. Measures include deploying law enforcement, intelligence and military personnel on beaches; creating a 50-strong riot police unit; expanding intelligence and judicial teams; and increasing maritime patrols. Surveillance will be enhanced with drones, two helicopters and upgraded camera systems. A new vessel and more than 20 additional maritime officers will be assigned to intercept boats at sea. Most of the money will be used to boost enforcement on northern French beaches.
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. The increase prompted UK criticism that France was not doing enough to stop departures, with smugglers and migrants taking greater risks to avoid detection. French officials say arrivals in the UK have fallen by half since the start of 2026 compared with the same period last year, and that about 480 smugglers were arrested in 2025. The British government says joint work with France has already halted more than 42,000 attempted crossings since July 2024.
Edited by: Karl Sexton