Overview
- Britain announced the pact on Wednesday, committing a core £500 million and up to £160 million more if the plan cuts small‑boat arrivals.
- The package lifts deployed personnel on northern French beaches from about 750 to nearly 1,100 and creates a 50‑officer riot unit equipped for crowd control.
- France will expand surveillance with drones, two helicopters and new cameras, and add a vessel plus more than 20 maritime officers to target so‑called taxi boats before full embarkation.
- The conditional funding can be halted after one year if joint assessments judge the new tactics unsuccessful, with performance measured by boats stopped and smugglers arrested.
- Officials cite 41,000 crossings in 2025 and more than 42,000 attempts blocked since July 2024, while charities warn tougher beach policing can push people into riskier journeys as measures ramp up for the summer; Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to sign the deal in France on Thursday.