UK and France Agree to Strengthen Control of the English Channel... Blocking Illegal Immigration

UK to Increase Funding for Border Control Costs in UK and France... France to Expand Border Patrol Personnel

[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Major foreign media reported on the 13th (local time) that the United Kingdom and France have agreed to strengthen controls on migrants crossing the English Channel and plan to disclose related details on the 14th.

The UK and France have been negotiating for several months to reduce the number of migrants who cross from France to the UK via the English Channel and then apply for asylum in the UK, and they are expected to reveal the new immigration agreement. Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, is scheduled to visit France for this purpose.

A UK government official stated that the UK and France have agreed to increase the payments the UK makes to France and to strengthen cooperation between the two countries' border patrols. The official called it good progress but added that further agreements on border issues will be necessary in the future.

The amount the UK government pays to France for immigration control will increase to 72 million euros in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. This is a significant increase from the 62.7 million euros paid in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Since 2018, the UK has provided about 200 million euros to France for immigration control. France is known to spend approximately 250 million euros annually on border immigration control.

France has decided to increase its patrol personnel for monitoring illegal boat migrants from the current 200 to 300 by 2025. In 2018, the patrol personnel numbered only 90.

Additionally, to strengthen cooperation, the UK and France have agreed to assign one observer from each country's border patrol to the other side.

Olivier V?ran, spokesperson for the French government, said, "France and the UK need to cooperate to solve immigration issues," adding, "If the UK and France act separately, border surveillance will not be properly conducted."

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel rose from 28,526 last year to over 40,000 already this year. It is known that many migrants go from France to the UK because it is easier to find illegal jobs in the UK than in France. Among migrants heading to the UK, Albanians are the largest group, which has caused tensions between the UK and Albania. Following Albanians, there are many refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq.

The UK has been cracking down on criminal organizations involved in providing boats for refugees to cross the English Channel, as boat sinking accidents causing casualties frequently occur during crossings.

The French side reported that by November 10 of this year, they had intercepted about 982 migrants, roughly half of the approximately 1,900 migrants attempting to cross the English Channel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.