CHANNEL CRACKDOWN
UK to pay France half a BILLION pounds in deal to stop small boats that will set up detention centre in France teaser
RISHI Sunak will pay France a mega £478 million in a deal to finally bring an end to the small boats crisis.
Following crunch talks in Paris today, French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to deploy 500 more cops on beaches where dangerous channel crossings start.
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And the President announced the opening of a new detention centre to help French Border Force cope with the masses of migrants being trafficked by evil people smugglers.
In return for the half a billion pounds, France will also form a new, highly trained and permanent mobile policing unit dedicated to illegal migration.
High-end drones, helicopters, planes and fresh surveillance tech will be used to ramp up intelligence sharing between British and French forces.
And all French efforts to tackle small boats will be overseen by a 24/7 zonal coordination centre, where permanent UK liaison officers will be based.
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Money will be transferred in three instalments, with Britain sending £124 million in 2023-24, £168 million in 2024-25 and £184 million in 2025-6.
It comes as nearly 3,000 people have arrived in small boats so far in Britain this year - on top of the 46,000 who came last year.
The major migration deal was sealed this morning in the grand Elysee Palace at the momentous Franco-British Summit.
It follows a separate deal last year to put British boots on French beaches for the very first time.
The summit, which was last held in 2018, covered illegal migration, energy and security.
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Joining Mr Sunak in Paris were Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey, Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps and Investment Minister Dominic Johnson.
The ministers met their French equivalents throughout the day.
At a joint press conference this afternoon the PM declared: "Emanuel and I share the same belief that criminal gangs should not get to decide who comes to our countries.
"Within weeks of me coming into office we agreed our largest ever small boats deal, and today we've taken our cooperation to an unprecedented level to tackle this shared challenge."
Mr Sunak added: "I think today's agreements represent a very positive step forward and the level of cooperation and integration is going to make a difference.
"We are confident and our teams are confident that you're going to see the benefit of that on the ground, and that's what we're going to deliver."
Officials hope the deal will boost the interception rate of small boats from 42 per cent last year to 75 per cent.
Once it hits this level it should destroy the business model of smuggling gangs.
Rishi's half a billion pound boats deal includes:
- 500 more French cops patrolling beaches where small boats take off to cross the Channel
- A new detention centre in France to help the country cope with the masses of migrants being trafficked across the Channel
- A new 24/7 small boats zonal coordination centre, with permanent UK liaison officers
- A new, highly trained, permanent French mobile policing unit dedicated to tackling small boats
- Fresh drones, aircraft and other high-tech surveillance tools to step up intelligence sharing and monitoring of smugglers
At the press event Mr Macron hailed a new golden era for Anglo-French relations.
The PM has been keen to break from the style his predecessor Liz Truss and take a far more friendly approach approach to relations with France.
Cooperation between the two states frayed when Ms Truss said “the jury is still out” as to whether Mr Macron is a “friend or foe”.
But today Mr Macron said: "It is a moment of reunion, of reconnection and of a new beginning.
"What we have decided is heightened co-ordination on our activities.
"We must act together in a fully shared framework to do this with all the Europeans who are concerned by the transits and crossings and some countries from which the traffic is organised."
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This morning Mr Sunak praised the millions going to France as a "sensible investment".
On the Eurostar to Paris he told reporters: "We would not invest any money alongside the French in a joint endeavour unless we thought it was going to go on things that will make a difference.
"It's already yielding benefits. Those are sensible investments for the UK."
On the possibility of a migrant returns deal with France, he said: "The priority right now is doing things that can stop the flow of illegal arrivals.
"Having boots on the ground, greater cooperation between our teams, is the thing that can make the most difference in the short term and that’s where we focus most of our attention.
"Over time, having those conversations with the EU is definitely a part of it. That will take a bit longer time to have those conversations."
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The PM vowed to "throw absolutely everything we can" to try and stop the crossings - saying the British public expected it to be sorted out.
Mr Sunak lavished compliments on his "very close friend" Macron, and vowed to open a "new chapter" in relations.
He said: "It's not just a neighbour, it's not just an ally, trading partner, it has always been a friend of the UK and it's better for our citizens, for French citizens, when our two countries are co-operating closely together and that is what today is about."
Before the press conference Mr Sunak and Mr Macron spoke in private for over an hour, with no staff present - not even translators.
Cash given to France in recent years
2014: £12million over 2 years
2015: £10million over 3 years
2016: 317million
2018: £45.5million
2019: £3.25m
2020: £28.1million
2021: £54million
2022: £62.2million
A No10 spokesperson said this wasn’t planned, but both leaders wanted genuine one-to-one time in the Elysee Palace.
Concluding the press conference Mr Sunak turned to Mr Macron, smiled and said: "merci, mon ami" - thank you, my friend.
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A key message at this year's summit was that the UK’s relationship with France is "defined by our mutual history, our proximity and our shared global outlook".
Ministers stressed the alliance is a "necessary pre-requisite for our prosperity and our security".
Mr Sunak said: “Our deep history, our proximity and our shared global outlook mean that a firm partnership between the UK and France is not just valuable, it is essential.
“From tackling the scourge of illegal migration to driving investment in one another’s economies the work we do together improves the lives of each and every person in our countries.
“As we face new and unprecedented threats, it is vital that we fortify the structures of our alliance so we are ready to take on the challenges of the future."
Today's talks follow Mr Sunak's major announcement on Monday that anyone who comes to Britain by small boat will be banned from ever claiming asylum in the UK.
Under the Illegal Migration Bill, illegal arrivals will be swiftly detained and deported to either their country of origin or a safe third state within 28 days.
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Only under-18s and the sick will be allowed to stay in the UK until they are well again or hit 18.
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Migrants who want to challenge their removal in courts will have to do so from abroad.
In January the PM listed "stopping the boats" as one of the five pledges that will define his premiership.
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