Channel Crossing Deal Defended by Priti Patel

A new £54.2m deal with France is defended by Home Secretary Priti Patel, to help stop the increasing number of migrants crossing the English Channel.

So far this year, more people have crossed the Channel than in the whole of 2020.

Ms Patel denies it is “sending good money after bad” following the failure of a £28.2m deal last November aimed at limiting crossings.

The home secretary says it is an “evolving situation”, and the number of people trying to cross has “increased considerably”. A record number of 430 migrants crossed the Channel in one day, on Monday. It beat the previous high of 416 set in September last year. And another group of migrants arrived at Dover on Wednesday. This makes the total number of people crossing this year pass the 8,461 who made it in 2020.

The deal agreed between London and Paris includes doubling of police numbers patrolling the beaches in France, and funding improved intelligence sharing. Funding will also go into introducing better technology to target gangs who arrange the crossings.

Will the deal have an impact?

However, some question whether the deal will actually have any effect on solving the issue.

One of those who believes it won’t work is Conservative MP Tim Loughton. He says, “giving the French more money to carry on doing what they’re doing badly is not going to solve the problem”.

However, the home secretary argues there is a “complete change in modus operandi” when it comes to crossing the Channel. There is now “widespread dispersal” of small boat launches “along the whole French coastline”, not just people coming from Calais.

The director of Border Force says France intercepted over 2,100 boats last year, while this year’s figure is already more than 6,000. Ms Patel claims the reason for more interceptions is due to “so high” numbers that are “going up”. She also stresses that France have a “different interpretation” of the way to save lives at sea, so will view themselves as “doing their bit”.

Meanwhile, Calais MP Pierre-Henri Dumont suggests the French coastline is too long to patrol, so it will not have an impact. He says “we’ve seen it before”, adding “we have too many kilometres of shore to monitor”. Having more money, more police officers and more controls, will not prevent people successfully crossing.

Mr Dumont also says the French are not supposed to intervene at sea, but Border Force call for joint patrols.

Strengthening co-operation

Ms Patel discussed obligations with the French, and agreed with interior minister Gerald Darmanin to “strengthen co-operation” over the crossings.

Under international law the French have an obligation to send migrants trying to cross the Channel back to their territory. She adds, the French “absolutely know what their responsibilities are”, and they are looking at all the possibilities on how to save lives at sea.

The Home Office say France were able to double their daily number of officers on its northern coast beaches last year because of support from the UK. The new UK support will help France to post “more security forces further up the coast, installing and utilising the latest surveillance equipment”.

The UK government acknowledge there is no quick and easy fix to issues with the asylum system. But Priti Patel is sure to want swift results in return for the increased investment in northern France.

The Nationality and Borders Bill, legislation making it a crime to knowingly arrive in the UK without permission, is currently under consideration by MPs. They hope changes in the rules will deter migrants from attempting to cross. However, the plans have received backlash from charities, who label it as “extreme and nasty”.

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