United Kingdom, France Agree On Migration Deal

France and the United Kingdom have agreed on a multi-year financial package to stop migration across the Channel.

This comes days after the UK government drew criticism for a bill barring unauthorised arrivals.

As part of the deal announced on Friday, the UK will help fund a detention centre in France while French authorities will deploy a new permanent policing unit and enhanced technology to patrol the country’s beaches.

The agreement also involves doubling the number of personnel deployed to France to tackle small-boat crossings.

It will see a new 24-hour zonal coordination centre with permanent British liaison officers that will bring all French authorities together to coordinate the response.

Officers from both countries will also look to work with countries along the routes favoured by people traffickers.

The UK has made stopping boat arrivals one of its top priorities after the number of people arriving on the south coast of England increased to more than 45,000 last year.

UK-French cooperation over controls at their shared borders has been formalised in the past through a series of bilateral agreements.