France spends tens of thousands of pounds of UK money policing border with ITALY
France has spent tens of thousands of pounds of cash, given to the EU nation by Britain, on policing its border with Italy
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France has spent tens of thousands of pounds of cash, given to the EU nation by Britain, on policing its border with Italy.
The money was handed over as part of the Sandhurst Treaty, in order to help fund the French border force and stop migrants coming to the UK.
But instead, France spent tens of thousands policing its own border with Italy - 900 kilometers from the English Channel.
A French Interior Ministry source told the Sun: "Immigrants who arrive though Italy are often making their way to Britain, so there is logic in this expenditure.”
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Some of the £40.4 million was also spent on equipping French police with everyday appliances such as microwaves, vacuum cleaners for cars, and car adapters for chargers.
According to Freedom of Information requests, filed by Politico, a significant proportion of the money was spent on transport, including helicopters, cars, motorbikes, e-scooters and quad bikes.
It was also spent on surveillance equipment, such as binoculars, drones, dashcams, hunting cameras, endoscopes and software.
A sum of £130,383 was spent on setting up a horse brigade, including the purchase of riding boots, helmets and care for the horses, with annual operating costs of £26,000.
Tory MP Tim Loughton told GB News France is "taking the P" with its use of the funds.
Meanwhile, former MEP Ben Habib accused the UK of "rewarding" the French for "bad behaviour".
Despite the funding, French police have stopped fewer than half of all migrants attempting to cross the English Channel since the deal was signed in 2018.
Asked about the figures, Loughton said: "They are absolutely taking the P.
"£480m to subsidise the French police and it is not all going on the French police let alone those patrolling the Channel coast."
Habib added: "In its failed wisdom, our government thinks it can deter illegal entry to the UK by, amongst other things, rewarding France for sending us their problem.
"In every year since 2018 we have given France more money to prevent the launch of dinghies and in every year the number of launches has increased.
"A total of around £700 million has been given or pledged to the French. They are being rewarded for bad behaviour. When you reward a child for the same, its behaviour gets worse; so does that of the French.
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"There is a cost-of-living crisis in the UK, our security and social fabric is being threatened by illegal migration and the French are having a laugh at our vast expense.
"But we cannot blame the French. The villains here are the profligate idiots in our government, led by Sunak."They are the ones splashing our cash into the Channel."