UK and France Sign New Deal to Curb Channel Migrant Crossings
The United Kingdom and France have agreed to a new three-year deal aimed at reducing undocumented migrant crossings of the English Channel, according to a French Interior Ministry roadmap seen by AFP. The agreement renews the Sandhurst Treaty, first signed in 2018 and extended in 2023, which sets out Britain's financial contribution to French efforts to stop migrants from attempting the dangerous sea crossing.
Under the new deal, France will increase law enforcement on its northern coast by more than 50%, reaching 1,400 officers by 2029. This will include a new 50-strong riot police unit, expanded intelligence and judicial police teams, and additional maritime patrols. France is also looking to deploy drones, two helicopters, upgraded camera systems, a new vessel, and more than 20 additional maritime officers to intercept boats at sea.
The UK will provide up to €766 million ($897 million) in funding. However, nearly a quarter of that amount — about €186 million — will be paid only if the French measures are deemed successful in stopping migrants, based on a joint annual assessment. If the measures do not deliver "sufficient results," the funding will be redirected to new actions, according to the roadmap. Even if the conditional portion is not paid, the UK's core contribution of €580 million still represents a €40 million increase over the previous treaty.
The deal comes as small-boat crossings from France to the UK have risen. Around 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, the highest number since large-scale crossings were first detected in 2018, according to figures cited by multiple sources. This has prompted criticism from the UK that France was doing too little to prevent migrants from setting off from its shores, with smugglers and migrants taking ever-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 said joint work with France had already halted more than 42,000 attempted crossings so far.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood are set to lay out further details of the plan on Thursday during a visit to a building site of an accommodation centre for people set to be deported from France at Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk.
The agreement renews the Sandhurst Treaty, which was set to expire this year. The UK had insisted it would only renew the treaty if it could impose conditions on how British taxpayers' money is used by the French government. The deal has been described by officials as a step forward in bilateral cooperation on border security, though it remains to be seen whether the new measures will achieve the desired reduction in crossings.
Key Claims
- The UK and France agreed to a new three-year deal to curb undocumented migrant crossings of the English Channel, renewing the Sandhurst Treaty.
- France will increase law enforcement on the coast by more than 50%, reaching 1,400 officers by 2029.
- The UK will provide up to €766 million in funding, with nearly a quarter conditional on results.
- Around 41,000 people crossed the Channel from France to the UK in small boats in 2025, the highest number since 2018.
- At least 29 migrants died at sea in the Channel in 2025, according to reports.
- French officials report about 480 smugglers arrested in 2025.
Perspectives
- UK Government: Emphasizes the need for France to do more to stop crossings and stresses "value for money" for British taxpayers, with funding tied to measurable results.
- French Government: Highlights its commitment to increasing enforcement and notes that arrivals in the UK have fallen by half since the start of 2026, indicating progress.
- Migrants: Some migrants at camps in northern France say they are still considering making the crossing despite the risks, reflecting the ongoing humanitarian dimension of the issue.