UK, France Sign 3-Year Deal to Reduce Channel Crossings

The United Kingdom and France have agreed a new three-year border security deal aimed at reducing irregular migrant crossings across the English Channel.

Under the agreement, France will significantly increase coastal patrols, boosting the number of officers by more than 50% to around 1,400 by 2029. In return, the UK will provide up to €766 million (approximately $897 million) in funding to support enforcement and border security operations.

A portion of the funding, nearly 25%, will be conditional, meaning payments will depend on the effectiveness of the measures in reducing crossings.

The deal is expected to be formally signed in France by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

The renewed agreement, which extends the Sandhurst Treaty framework, introduces a range of new enforcement and surveillance measures, including:

• Deployment of law enforcement, intelligence, and military personnel along northern French beaches

• A new 50-officer riot police unit, alongside expanded intelligence and judicial teams

• Increased maritime patrols and interception operations at sea

• Enhanced surveillance using drones, two helicopters, and upgraded coastal camera systems

• A new patrol vessel and more than 20 additional maritime officers to intercept small boats

The UK has long pushed France to strengthen enforcement against dangerous Channel crossings, arguing that more action is needed to prevent migrant departures from French beaches.

In 2025, around 41,000 people crossed the Channel from France to the UK in small boats, marking the highest level since crossings began to rise significantly in 2018.

The increase has intensified political pressure in the UK, with criticism that France has not done enough to stop departures and dismantle smuggling networks operating along its northern coast.

However, French officials say the situation is already improving, claiming that arrivals in the UK have fallen by around 50% in early 2026 compared with the same period last year. They also report that approximately 480 people smugglers were arrested in 2025.

The UK government says joint operations with France have prevented more than 42,000 attempted crossings since July 2024, describing the partnership as a key tool in tackling irregular migration across one of Europe’s busiest and most sensitive migration routes.