The objective of the pact is to halt unlawful crossings of the English Channel. Interior ministers from both nations will convene near Dunkirk, a northwestern French city, on Thursday.
Following extensive negotiations over several months, France and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement to extend the Sandhurst Treaty for an additional three years.
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The treaty, initiated in 2018 to curb illegal Channel crossings, was first renewed in 2023 and is set to expire in 2026.
British officials are prepared to contribute funding reaching €766 million over the next three years; however, this sum contains a «flexible component» of €186 million which depends on the success of implemented strategies.
Hence, London is assured to provide €580 million, which represents an increase from the preceding €540 million contributions.
The number of law enforcement personnel assigned to patrol the Channel is projected to double, targeting nearly 1,400 officers by 2029.
A Republican Security Corps (CRS) unit funded by France will focus on combating illegal immigration, supported by drones, helicopters, and additional electronic surveillance tools.
On Thursday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez alongside UK Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood will tour the construction site of an administrative detention centre located in Loon-Plage, close to Dunkirk in the northwest.
Foreign nationals under an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) will be held at this centre until their deportation dates.
According to UK authorities, approximately 41,500 individuals crossed the Channel to enter the United Kingdom via small boats—often called dinghies—in 2025, marking the second-highest count since such crossings began in 2018.
France states that arrivals into the UK have decreased by half compared to the same timeframe in 2025 since the start of this year.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the «landmark agreement,» emphasizing that it «advances measures by enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and on-ground presence to secure the UK’s borders.»
He added that the cooperation between the UK and France has «already halted tens of thousands of crossings.»
During the summer of 2025, the two countries signed a new accord called «one-in-one-out,» also known as Operation Hillmore.
This deal permits London to return certain small boat arrivals to France while allowing an equal number of migrants from France, who have not attempted to cross, to enter the UK.