A multi million pound UK deal with France to tackle illegal Channel crossings is set to expire tonight, with negotiations in deadlock and migrant numbers soaring to record levels under Labour.
Ministers have so far failed to secure a new agreement before the midnight deadline, after French officials rejected demands from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to tie British funding to tougher enforcement targets.
The existing £475 million, three year deal, agreed in 2023, will lapse this evening with no breakthrough in talks, raising fears of further pressure on Britain’s borders.
The stalemate comes as crossings continue at historically high levels. Since Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street in July 2024, around 65,922 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boat, more than under any previous prime minister over a comparable period.
That equates to an average of roughly 790 arrivals a week, and represents the worst record of any modern government.
Annual figures also underline the scale of the crisis. In 2025 alone, more than 41,000 migrants crossed the Channel, a 13 per cent increase on the previous year and the second highest total ever recorded.
Critics say this means crossings are now running at levels higher than last year, despite repeated pledges from Labour to “smash the gangs”.
French ministers have refused British demands to introduce measurable interception targets, describing the idea as unrealistic and warning it could endanger lives at sea. They argue that new smuggling tactics, including the use of so called “taxi boats” collecting migrants from shallow waters, have made enforcement more difficult.
The collapse in talks will intensify criticism that Britain is paying vast sums to France with diminishing returns. In the early months of this year, just over a third of attempted crossings were stopped, the lowest rate on record.
Pressure is now mounting on the Government from opposition figures and some within its own ranks to adopt a far tougher approach.
Many are calling for the Rwanda deportation scheme to be revived, arguing that British taxpayers had already funded it and that it was effectively ready to begin before Labour scrapped it within days of taking office. Supporters say its removal has weakened deterrence and contributed to the surge in crossings.
There is also growing international interest in similar policies. The United States has explored tougher offshore style migration controls, while several European countries are now examining comparable schemes as they seek to curb illegal arrivals.
For critics, the contrast is stark. While other nations look at stronger deterrents, they argue, Britain has abandoned one of its flagship policies and is now struggling to secure even basic cooperation from France.
With the current deal expiring tonight and no agreement in place, the immediate concern among officials is to avoid any operational gap. But politically, the failure to secure a new arrangement, combined with record arrival numbers, is likely to deepen questions over Labour’s handling of the border crisis.
