"Under a 2023 agreement signed by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the UK has paid 476m to France for extra patrols to disrupt smuggling gangs. That agreement expires at midnight."
"The French authorities are reported to be concerned that UK demands could put the lives of asylum seekers at greater risk."
"Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is understood to be pushing for the new arrangement to include performance-related clauses that would link funding to the proportion of boats intercepted by the French."
"In August 2025, the Labour government signed a separate 'one-in-one-out' deal with France, which allows the UK to return some small boat arrivals to France while admitting an equivalent number of migrants from France."
The UK is in last-minute negotiations with France to renew a deal for beach patrols aimed at intercepting small boats in the English Channel. A previous agreement, signed in 2023, involved a payment of 476 million to France for enhanced patrols against smuggling gangs. Concerns have arisen regarding UK demands potentially risking asylum seekers' lives. If no agreement is reached by midnight, discussions will continue, and French policing operations will persist. The UK government seeks performance-related clauses linking funding to interception rates.
Read at www.bbc.com
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