France risks losing £160m in UK funding if it fails to do enough to halt Channel crossings under a “payment-by-results” deal agreed earlier this year.
It comes after the busiest day for small boat arrivals in 2026 was recorded on Wednesday and four more people died attempting the crossing.
Under the agreement, signed by the Home Secretary in April, £500m was committed to boost enforcement on French beaches, with a further £160m contingent on France succeeding in cutting migrant numbers. It was the first time UK funding to France on Channel crossings has been tied to results in this way, and if the new tactics fail to stop enough boats the £160m top-up will stop after one year.
Shorts
The scheme funded a 40 per cent increase in law enforcement, intelligence and military officers on French beaches, taking the total to nearly 1,100 personnel, alongside a new 50-officer riot police unit, an expanded intelligence and judicial police team, drone surveillance, two helicopters and additional maritime officers targeting “taxi boats”.
