French demand more money from Britain before they let their police try to stop migrants boarding small boats to cross the English Channel
The French are set to ask for more money before police start intercepting migrants trying to board small boats to cross the English Channel, it was revealed today.
Britain already has a deal with France to try and prevent refugees and and migrants from crossing the Channel, but until now, authorities have resisted entering the water themselves and only prevent those they catch on the shoreline.
The French government has now indicated its willingness to change tactic and turn back boats in the shallows, but says it needs more money to do so.
The extra funds would be spent on deploying drones and more police officers to ensure that policing of the coastline can also be maintained.
Representatives from both governments are currently negotiating a new deal aimed at cracking down on smuggling gangs which is said to be in the early stages.
The UK's current deal with France was due to expire next year, but Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has now agreed to extend it into 2027 as long as France builds its own long-promised detention centre.
Since 2015, British governments have spent £800 million to France to stop the crossings of people across the world's busiest shipping lane in small boats.
An agreement made under Rishi Sunak's premiership in 2023 pledged £480 million, but not all of that has yet been spent.
So far this year, almost 15,000 people have made the highly dangerous crossing, up 42 percent on this time last year. The government has blamed better and calmer weather for the increase.
French officials are now expected to push for extra funding for the Compagnie de Marche, an elite policing unit with special public order powers and that was formed specifically to tackle an increase in violence on the nation's beaches.
A government source told the Times that the French may be 'pitch-rolling for more money' but that talks were in the early stages.
It is understood that President Macron is currently in the process of drafting the new strategy ahead of a planned state visit to the UK next month.
It comes after last Saturday saw the highest number of people arrive by small boats this year.
The home secretary described the fact that 1,195 people arrived in 19 boats on one day as 'disgraceful'.
On the same day, French authorities rescued 184 people from the water, with current rules meaning they can only interfere in boats at sea if people are in distress.
It has led to a change of tactics by people smugglers in recent years which has seen them blow up and put dinghies into the water in the shallows, before others wade out, sometimes to chest or neck height, to be pulled onboard.
The Defence Secretary John Healey said this creates a 'big problem' for policing.
Last week dozens of people were seen cramming themselves onto small boats, including entire families with multiple young children.
Groups gathered in the early hours of the morning to make the perilous journey across the Channel last Saturday
It was the first time in a week that anyone had made the crossing, perhaps contributing to the high figure.
In the seven days since, no boats have landed from France on UK shores.
The crossings last Saturday came just weeks after the Prime Minister announced plans for 'return hubs' to send migrants back to the country they came to the UK from more easily.
The Prime Minister is eyeing up deals with Balkan countries, and some in Africa, to house failed asylum seekers.
Labour is looking to strike deals with the likes of Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
'That is why this government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage.
'Through international intelligence sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in Northern France and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, we are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders.'
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