France will finally deport migrants aiming to cross Channel in small boats with new removals centre

Susanna Siddell
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:31:42 +0000

France will finally deport migrants attempting to cross the Channel with a new removals centre.

The Dunkirk-based detention hub, with a capacity of 140, will welcome hundreds of additional French officers in a bid to tackle the soaring number of small boat crossings.

With weather conditions getting warmer and sunny days stretching further into the evenings, border authorities are ramping up efforts ahead of their busiest time of year.

Over 200 additional detention officers will be deployed to boost French removal capabilities in as part of Labour's latest UK-France deal designed to clamp down on Channel crossings.

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They will target illegal migrants belonging to the "top 10 small boat nationalities".

Last year, this included individuals from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen.

Under the new scheme, French officers aim to target and detain hundreds of migrants and is expected to be in operation by the end of 2026.

The migrants will be returned to their home country or other countries within the European Union which they have travelled through.

Until then, a temporary trial-run effort will be rolled out in the French commune of Coquelles, near Calais, from May.

The funds will be sourced from the UK's latest deal with the French, which is, for the first time, a performance-based sum.

If the agreement fails to deliver value for money and proven results in its first year, the funding will be withdrawn from the scheme for the second and third year.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "This Government is bearing down on illegal small boat crossings.

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"Under this new agreement, we will remove those with no right to be here before they attempt to cross the Channel – starting this year.

"We will restore order and control to our borders."

The new deal with see £500million invested to boost enforcement action on beaches in Northern France and a conditional £160million more will be invested based on the success of new tactics.

Almost 1,100 law enforcement, intelligence and military officers will be deployed to crack down on the surging number of migrants making the perilous trip across the Channel.

Part of the funding will be allocated to bulking up the personnel along the French coast, which has so far stopped 42,000 crossings since the election.

The cash will also go towards the establishment of a new riot police unit, designed to handle hostile crowds and violent outbreaks.

The Conservatives slammed the new agreement, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp saying: "The Government’s deal hands over half a billion pounds of our money with no conditions at all.

"France only prevented a third of embarkations last year and even let those illegal immigrants go to try again."

He added they "shouldn’t get a single penny unless they stop the vast majority of the boats".

Mr Philp added: "This weak Government has no control of our borders. Since the election, over 70,000 illegal immigrants have crossed – a 45 per cent increase compared to before the election.

"Their claim to smash the gangs is laughable."