Fears of increased small boat Channel crossings as UK-French deal nears end

New agreement delayed amid home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s demands for more interceptions of dinghies A renewed deal between the UK and France to stop small boat Channel crossings has not yet been signed, with a day to go before the current one expires, raising questions about whether people smugglers will be able to act unimpeded from later this week.…

Key takeaways

Quick scan — what you need to know:

• New agreement delayed amid home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s demands for more interceptions of dinghies A renewed deal between the UK and France to stop small boat Channel crossings has not yet been…
• Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron announced the previous £468m deal on 10 March 2023, weeks before it came into force.
• The UK pays two-thirds of the cost of policing France’s northern border and the current agreement expires on Tuesday.
• Discussions on it began last July at the 37th UK-France summit and British officials travelled to Paris last week for another round of talks.

Background

What led here, in plain terms:

• Continue reading...
• New agreement delayed amid home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s demands for more interceptions of dinghies A renewed deal between the UK and France to stop small boat Channel crossings has not yet been…
• Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron announced the previous £468m deal on 10 March 2023, weeks before it came into force.
• The UK pays two-thirds of the cost of policing France’s northern border and the current agreement expires on Tuesday.

Why it matters

Why readers and decision-makers should care:

• Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron announced the previous £468m deal on 10 March 2023, weeks before it came into force.
• The UK pays two-thirds of the cost of policing France’s northern border and the current agreement expires on Tuesday.
• Discussions on it began last July at the 37th UK-France summit and British officials travelled to Paris last week for another round of talks.