Migrant deal with France extended by two months as taxpayers cough up £16.2million while Labour negotiations continue

Jack Walters
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:10:32 +0000

The UK's migrant deal with France has been extended by two months at a cost of £16.2million while Shabana Mahmood continues to negotiate terms for a new accord with Emmanuel Macron's Government.

French law enforcement, intelligence and military reservist officers will remain operational on the Calais coast as part of a push to track down people smugglers and thwart small boat crossings.

Contracts were extended by a further two months to enable Ms Mahmood to thrash out the terms of a new agreement.

Sir Keir Starmer's Government has lauded cross-Channel co-operation since coming to power, with a separate "one-in, one-out" deal looking to deter migrants from completing the 21-mile journey.

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The Home Office claims Anglo-French efforts have prevented nearly 42,000 illegal migrants from crossing the Channel since the 2024 General Election.

However, Sir Keir's record on the small boats crisis is officially worse than any of his predecessors, with almost 70,000 reaching British shores in the Labour leader's first 20 months in power.

The surge in small boat arrivals comes despite nearly 700 officers from units dedicated to intercepting small boats patrolling the French coastline.

Britain's small boats agreement with France was first signed under the previous Conservative Government in 2023, with the £476million package funding a new detention centre and hundreds of extra law enforcement officers.

Following the emergency extension of the Anglo-French deal, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Our work with France has stopped 42,000 attempts by illegal migrants to make the journey across the Channel.

“While we finalise a new and improved UK-France deal, French law enforcement operations to stop illegal migrants in France will continue.

“I will do whatever it takes to restore order and control at our borders.”

Despite receiving millions of pounds in taxpayers' cash, French police have been accused of failing to tackle the small boats crisis.

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Law enforcement officers in Calais have been filmed standing on the beaches and watching on as migrants clamber aboard dinghies in the Channel.

Meanwhile, just 2,064 out of 6,233 attempted crossings in the first 12 weeks of 2026 were stopped.

The figure is down on the 35.1 per cent recorded last year and 26.7 per cent in 2024.

The current trajectory suggests 2026 could mark the lowest rate of interceptions since the small boats crisis began in 2018, down from a peak of 46.9 per cent in 2023.

However, French police have also been given more powers to stop migrant boats at sea, including puncturing dinghies found in the dunes.

Ms Mahmood is expected to offer France £650million for a three-year deal, with the Home Secretary demanding stricter conditions to only release funds once France reaches a certain interception rate.

Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage voiced his concerns about handing France more taxpayers' cash to tackle the migrant crisis.

Speaking at Heathrow Airport earlier today, Mr Farage said: "It wouldn't make any difference whether we agreed to a further £365million or not.

"Even if the French do stop boats from crossing, the same people come back the next time there is a calm day."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp added: "Labour don't have the backbone to get a deal over the line.

"They are now going to pay £2million a week for continued failure.

"We shouldn't pay the French until they agree to substantially increase their prevention rate and start intercepting at sea by force – as they promised last summer."