Britain to pay France £6m for drones to cover Channel
BRITAIN is to pay the French £6million for drones, CCTV cameras and night-vision equipment to mount 24/7 surveillance of the north France coast in a new bid to prevent migrants crossing the Channel.
Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, will unveil the extra measures today after a meeting in London with Christophe Castaner, his counterpart as France’s interior minister.
They will also agree to co-ordinate and step up patrols by Border Force and French boats to ensure that there is round-the-clock coverage of key areas in the Channel at any given time. The introduction of 24/7 surveillance has been demanded by MPS alarmed that the current measures have so far failed to deter migrants from continuing attempts to cross to the UK.
Earlier this week, 39 more suspected illegal migrants crossed the Channel in small boats and reached the UK in less than 24 hours spanning Sunday and Monday.
More than 200 made the crossing in the final two months of 2018.
Britain currently has two Border Force cutters patrolling the Channel, backed by a Royal Navy patrol vessel. Two extra cutters, currently on their way back from the Mediterranean, will not be deployed until next month.
Under the agreement to be signed off today, the UK will pay €7million (£6 million) including €3.4 million (£3million) already committed under the Sandhurst Agreement signed last year to boost border security, plus another €3.6million (£3.1million).
“It’s in the interests of both countries. Britain doesn’t want an influx of migrants and France doesn’t want the northern French coast to become a magnet for migrants who see that it’s possible to cross the Channel successfully,” said a French government source.
“France is paying for policing of the coast, which costs millions and constitutes the majority of expenditure on preventing the crossings, which is why Britain is paying for the equipment. France pays for manpower and the UK for hardware. It will include drones, CCTV, night-vision goggles and other equipment. The French and British vessels will co-ordinate with each other so that there is always at least one boat – either British or French – in key areas at any given time.
There will also be a joint publicity campaign aimed at dissuading migrants, warning that they risk their lives by attempting the crossing.
Earlier this week, refugee charities warned that there were 3,000 migrants in northern France and Belgium “desperate” to get to the UK and who would not be deterred by Royal Navy and Border Force patrols.
Britain has paid €170 million (£148million) since 2014 for security installations in the Calais area – mainly fencing around the Eurotunnel, lighting on motorways to help catch migrants boarding lorries or other vehicles, CCTV cameras and private security guards.
Charlie Elphicke, the Dover MP, welcomed the move, saying: “I have consistently called for 24/7 aerial surveillance of the English Channel to ensure any migrants leaving the coast of France should be intercepted and helped safely back to the French coast.
“The introduction of aerial surveillance is the right step to take and I hope the Home Secretary and his opposite number will put it in place as swiftly as possible.”