Britain and France will step up efforts to halt crossings of the English Channel by migrants in small boats, British Home Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday, after figures showed over 1,000 people had made the crossing so far this month.
Cleverly held talks in Paris with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, with both sides hailing how increased cooperation led to a 36 percent reduction in crossings last year.
But latest figures from the UK Home Office have shown over 1,000 people crossed so far in January from France to England, with 276 making the perilous journey this last Sunday alone.
A statement from the UK Home Office said both sides had agreed to "accelerate delivery" of an agreement between Paris and London from March 2023 to step up cooperation.
This move will "expedite deployment" of key aerial surveillance equipment, "ensuring unprecedented levels of coverage to enable French law enforcement to intercept crossing attempts as quickly as possible," it said.
The perilous journeys across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes have become a political issue for Britain's Conservative government, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowing last year to "stop the boats".
Under the deal agreed between Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron in March 2023, London is stepping up funding to France to total 541 million euros up to 2026.
