UK, France agree to nearly $900M deal to curb small boat crossings

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is due to sign 3-year agreement with France

Britain and France have agreed to a nearly $900-million deal aimed at reducing small-boat migrant crossings across the English Channel, with the two countries expected to sign the deal on Thursday. Riot-trained police will be sent to beaches in France as part of a new £662-million ($893-million) deal with the UK to stop illegal migrants from crossing the English Channel, BBC reported. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is due to sign the three-year agreement with France on Thursday, which will see at least 50 police officers, trained in "riot and crowd control tactics," drafted in to tackle violence and "hostile crowds." The deal will see France deploying millions of pounds worth of drones, two helicopters, and a camera system to intercept people smugglers and illegal migrants. Ahead of the signing, Mahmood said joint work with France has stopped tens of thousands of illegal migrants from boarding boats headed to Britain. "But we must do more. This landmark deal will stop illegal migrants making the perilous journey and put people smugglers behind bars," she was quoted by the BBC as saying. Meanwhile, more than 600 people crossed the English Channel via small boats on Saturday, making it the highest day for crossings so far this year. So far, more than 6,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to reach the UK this year, despite enhanced measures by the UK government to curb irregular migration. The UK reported a year of elevated migration levels as a total of 41,472 migrants navigated the English Channel in small boats last year, nearly 5,000 more than in 2024.