UK may face up to €1 billion cost to extend Channel security pact with France
A French parliamentary inquiry warns that the UK could be asked to pay more than €1 billion to renew its Channel security agreement if migrant crossings keep rising.
In April, the United Kingdom and France agreed on a new three-year Channel security contract worth £662 million, replacing a £479 million deal from the previous year. Sebastien Huyghe, leading a French parliamentary commission on the beach-patrol accords, cautioned that if migrant attempts across the Channel continue, France could demand a 40 percent increase, bringing the cost to more than €1 billion. He highlighted that roughly one-third of illegal migrants entering the EU target the UK, and 71 percent of those who cross the Channel or North Sea are later granted refugee status.
Huyghe also called for a review of the 22-year-old Le Touquet agreement that allows pre-departure border checks. The French commission warned that the present situation is unsatisfactory and cannot be allowed to persist.
Why it matters
Higher costs could strain UK finances and affect future cooperation on Channel migration control.
In this story
