The deal will significantly increase the number of French officers and volunteers operating on Channel beaches, as France seeks to prevent a “much larger” proportion of migrants leaving its shores, according to the Telegraph. London wants to secure France’s help to prevent migrants from making the dangerous waterway crossing. Critics said the UK should open up more legal avenues for people to come into the country. Almost 40,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far in 2022, BBC research reveals. In 2020, that number was 8,404. More than half of these people are from Albania (18%), Afghanistan (18%) and Iran (15%). The Telegraph, a British newspaper, reported that France would agree to a joint control center where British immigration officials would be stationed. On Friday, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley and his French counterpart Catherine Colonnade issued a statement stressing the “urgent need to tackle all forms of illegal immigration”. British officials have previously said a deal is close. Officials from both countries declined to comment on the reports on Saturday. The record number of migrants trying to enter the UK illegally has put pressure on the new British Prime Minister to find an effective solution. In recent weeks, British officials have come under fire for overcrowding and poor conditions at asylum processing centres, with a facility in Manston bombed by an extremist in late October. The government is also struggling with a shortage of emergency accommodation, a clogged asylum system and rising costs to taxpayers. Another British newspaper, the Express, reported that an agreement between Paris and London could be signed next week. It was likely to include more British drones to detect migrants hiding in sand dunes before they attempt the dangerous crossings often in flimsy dinghies. In November 2021, an inflatable boat carrying migrants from France to the UK capsized in the English Channel, killing 27 of the 30 on board. Relations between Britain and France have improved since Sunak took office last month. Things had worsened this year after Liz Truss questioned whether French President Emmanuel Macron was friend or foe during her campaign to become prime minister.
