UK and France extend talks over new small boats deal

UK and France extend talks over new small boats deal 51 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Brian Wheeler , Political reporter and Joe Pike , Political correspondent PA Media French police patrol beaches as part of efforts to disrupt smuggling gangs The UK is to pay France £16.2m to patrol beaches for the next two months, as the two sides continue to hammer out a new deal to intercept small boats attempting to cross the English Channel. Under a three-year agreement signed in 2023, the UK has paid £476m to France for extra patrols to disrupt migrant smuggling gangs. That agreement had been due to expire at midnight - but talks to renew it have been extended by two months, as the UK pushes for more enforcement officers to be deployed by the French authorities. UK sources claimed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was "driving a hard bargain to deliver a better deal for the British people," adding: "We need more bang for our buck". Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour were paying France for "continued failure". He added: "We shouldn't pay the French a penny until they agree to substantially increase their prevention rate and start intercepting at sea by force - as they promised last summer." Liberal Democrats immigration and asylum spokesperson Will Forster MP said "blowing up our international partnerships is never going to fix the problems in our immigration and asylum system". …