Britain and France have signed a new agreement aimed at curbing the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. The home secretary, Priti Patel, and her French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, said they wanted to make the route used by more than 8,000 people this year unviable. They agreed to double the number of French police patrolling a 150km stretch of coastline targeted by people-smuggling networks. Despite deteriorating weather conditions, the UK’s Border Force has continued to deal with migrants making the dangerous trip from northern France. The number crossing aboard small boats has rocketed this year, with more than 8,000 reaching the UK – compared with 1,835 in 2019, according to data analysed by the PA news agency.

Source: The Guardian November 28, 2020 20:37 UTC