France to get migrant patrol funds soon, says UK minister

Payments to France to help tackle migrant Channel crossings should be finalised in "the coming weeks", Security Minister Damian Hinds has said.

The UK promised France £54m in July to boost police patrols at its beaches.

But on Saturday, a French minister complained that "not one euro" had been transferred so far.

Mr Hinds insisted the payment timetable was an "administrative" matter to resolve, "not a political question".

The number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has increased in recent days, after a recent improvement in the weather.

More than 18,000 people have made the journey so far this year, according to Home Office figures - already more than double the 8,460 in 2020.

In the agreement signed in July, the UK pledged to give France €62.7m (£54m) during 2021/22 to help stem the number of Channel crossings.

The deal said it would help France increase police patrols along its coastline, boost aerial surveillance and increase security infrastructure at ports.

During a visit to Dunkirk on Saturday, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters: "For now, not one euro has been paid."

"We are asking the British to keep their promises of financing because we are holding the border for them," he added.

"The English are people of honour, and I'm sure it is just a slight accounting delay and they will keep their promise".

Asked on Monday why no payments had yet been made, Mr Hinds told BBC Breakfast: "That's an administrative thing to figure out, it's not a political question.

"That's an administrative process, to work out the exact flows of money - how that happens and exactly when," he added.

"We are working closely with the French - and I expect that question that you've raised to be finalised in the coming weeks."

In September, Home Secretary Priti Patel reportedly promised Tory MPs the funding could be withheld unless France intercepted more crossings.

The government also disclosed plans to turn back boats carrying migrants - despite warnings this could breach international maritime law.

Mr Darmanin rejected the idea at the time, also accusing the UK of "financial blackmail".

Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities.

The government says more migrants should be claiming asylum in France or elsewhere in Europe, instead of making dangerous journeys in small boats.

It argues its proposed law to overhaul asylum rules - to be scrutinised by MPs this autumn - will deter people from crossing the Channel.

But the blueprint has prompted a backlash from opposition MPs, with campaigners and refugee charities branding it an "anti-refugee bill".