UK and France strike new £662m small boats deal

Riot-trained police will be sent to beaches in France as part of a new £662m deal with the UK to stop illegal migrants from crossing the English Channel. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed the three-year agreement with France on Thursday, which will see at least 50 police officers, trained in "riot and crowd control tactics", drafted in to tackle violence and "hostile crowds". The deal will involve France deploying millions of pounds worth of drones, two helicopters, and a camera system to intercept people smugglers and illegal migrants. For the first time, ministers have said around £100m of UK funding could be redirected or withdrawn after a year if not enough journeys are stopped. The UK government has not confirmed what targets the French would have to meet in order to keep the money. As part of the agreement, the Home Office also says it is expecting a removal centre in Dunkirk, first announced by the last government in 2023, to be completed by the end of the year. Once built, the 140-capacity centre, staffed by more than 200 officers, will focus on removing migrants from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen, the department sa