Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is drawing a line in the sand over a £450 million border security pact with France. She insists Paris must complete the delayed Dunkirk migrant detention centre before any new deal can be sealed.
Countdown to Deadline: Deal Expires Tuesday
The current border agreement, which involves joint patrols and tech to curb Channel crossings, is set to expire on Tuesday. Mahmood is refusing to budge without the detention centre — originally slated to open this year — up and running.
The Dunkirk facility has been plagued by planning delays, frustrating UK officials who expected it to play a key role in detaining and removing migrants trying to cross the Channel.
UK Wants Pay-for-Performance Deal
The existing £475 million deal, first struck under Rishi Sunak, covers patrols and surveillance. Last year, the Home Office offered to extend it to 2027, but only if Dunkirk’s construction is finished.
Mahmood now wants to switch payments to France from a flat fee to a system based on actual interception success. French coastal patrols stop around 37% of crossings currently, down from 50% in 2023 when the deal was made.
British Taxpayers Foot Most of the Bill
New figures show British taxpayers cover a massive 62% of France’s northern coast patrol costs, shelling out £155 million of the £250 million budget.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “We want flexibility and innovation in any new deal with the French to ensure long-term value for money and a real impact on small boat crossings.”
He added there is no “silver bullet” to migration, calling the partnership “one tool in our armoury.”
According to the Home Office, cooperation with France is working. “We have prevented over 40,000 attempts by illegal migrants since this government took office,” said a department spokesman. “Illegal migrants arriving on small boats are being sent back to France under this landmark deal.”
Ticking Clock and Troubled Talks
With just days left before the existing agreement expires, talks are under intense pressure. The Dunkirk detention centre dispute threatens to throw a spanner in the works – and stall the crucial pact that tackles Channel crossings.
