Britain and France will “pool” resources to deport more Channel migrants to their home and transit countries, the Daily Express understands.
Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt was in Calais and Paris on Wednesday and Thursday meeting his counterpart Patrick Stefanini.
They agreed to bolster efforts to deport asylum seekers, disrupt smuggling gangs operating in Northern Europe, deter migrants from crossing the Channel and “tackling the root causes of irregular migration”.
The Daily Express understands this will see both London and Paris “pool” their resources to deport more migrants through gathering intelligence to build cases and working with civil servants in countries such as Iraq and Vietnam.
Yvette Cooper is under pressure to end the Channel migrant crisis (Image: Getty)
Mr Hewitt said: “When I first took on my role as Border Security Commander, one of my key priorities was to strengthen our work with partners across the world to tackle the criminal networks facilitating illegal migration to the UK.
“In just a few short months, we have fundamentally enhanced our international cooperation, but it is our close cooperation with French partners that remains, as ever, the cornerstone to stopping the gangs and preventing loss of life.
“Beyond France, the Border Security Command has deepened coordination with law enforcement to smash the criminal people smuggling gangs, securing vital agreements with other international partners including Germany, Western Balkan nations and Iraq.”
Another 210 migrants crossed the Channel on Wednesday, as pressure intensified on the French to intercept more small boats in the water. Some 1,378 asylum seekers have been intercepted from March 1-5, bringing the yearly total to 3,434.
This is 15% higher than the same period in 2024 (2,983) and also 16% up on 2023 (2,953) but it is a further jump of 55% compared with 2022 (2,212).
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “I welcome the news that the Government has continued to cooperate with our French allies to tackle small boat crossings.
“However, more than 1,300 have crossed the Channel in the last five days with 592 people crossing the Channel on Sunday. With no deterrent, and an obsession with rewarding criminal migrants with British passports, this is hardly a surprise.
“By cancelling the Rwanda deterrent before it even started, Labour has lost control of our borders. Illegal channel crossings are up 26% since the election as a result.
“Removals of small boat arrivals are down again under Labour, with only 4 per cent of small boat arrivals being removed. Does the Labour Government really think that letting 96 per cent of illegal immigrants stay here is going to deter anybody?
“The Labour Government have smashed farmers, pensioners and small businesses yet the people smuggling gangs are acting with impunity under Labour.”
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau vowed to “rethink our approach” after talks with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last week.
But the Daily Express on Wednesday morning witnessed a deathtrap boat being escorted by a French naval ship – Ridens – to the median line in the Channel, where up to 60 migrants were then taken to Dover by the UK’s Border Force Typhoon.
