The UK government has agreed to pay France another £660 million to curb the number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel, including funding for a latest 50-strong riot squad trained in crowd-control tactics.
Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers will be deployed in France — a 40% increase on previous levels — to track down smuggling gangs and people seeking refuge. UK funds are expected to cover batons, shields and tear gas for managing what the Home Office describes as “hostile crowds and violent tactics”.
The announcement follows the collapse of the previous £478 million, three-year agreement on 31 March, after protracted negotiations over cost-sharing and strategy. The new deal includes a baseline package of about £500 million to strengthen beach enforcement in northern France, with the remainder allocated to intelligence and military support.
Human rights organisations have condemned the plan, warning it risks further harm to vulnerable people. Sile Reynolds, head of asylum advocacy at Freedom from Torture, called it a “deeply alarming” escalation, stating that UK funds would now pay for police equipment used “indiscriminately against men, women and children on the beaches of northern France for the crime of seeking safety”. She noted that many of those affected have already endured state violence during their flight from persecution and would now face French riot police criticised by the UN Committee against Torture for excessive force.
Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council argued the approach treats symptoms, not causes, saying policing alone cannot stop people from turning to dangerous boats when no safe routes exist. He emphasized that many migrants have ties to the UK through language, family or culture, and will risk their lives if legal pathways remain blocked.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood maintained the agreement would facilitate dismantle smuggling networks, asserting it would help set people smugglers behind bars. She noted this is the first time the UK will directly fund a riot squad specifically for irregular migration control, even as French police have previously used tear gas, stun grenades and pepper spray to deter boat departures.
According to the BBC, Channel crossings have risen sharply in recent years, with 41,472 people arriving in the UK by small boat in 2025. So far in 2026, over 6,000 have reached shore — including 602 who arrived in Dover on nine boats in a single day — prompting criticism that French enforcement has weakened. The previous 2023 deal, under which the UK paid £476 million for around 700 officers to patrol French beaches, was due to expire next month before being replaced by this new agreement.
Why is the UK funding a riot squad for the first time in this deal?
The UK is funding a dedicated riot squad to manage what officials describe as hostile crowds attempting to board small boats, marking a shift from previous patrols focused on surveillance and disruption of smuggling gangs.
How many people have crossed the Channel so far in 2026?
Over 6,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boat in 2026, including a single-day arrival of 602 people in Dover on nine boats.