UK Prime Minister and French President to broker deal to stop migrant boats

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron look set to agree on a deal to stop migrants crossing the channel from France to the UK in small boats.

Sunak has agreed to pay France £480m ($577M) to implement measures such as build a new detention center, have French authorities patrol the beaches, deploy drones and aircrafts and establish A new 24/7 coordination center with permanent UK liaison officers.

The “unprecedented” deal was touted by Sunak following meetings in Paris with Macron aimed at bolstering efforts to combat the problem.

Macron has confirmed that the deal with have to be rubber stamped by the European Union.

In 2022, 46,000 migrants made the dangerous sea journey from France to the UK and over 3,000 people have made the journey in 2023.

The meeting marked the first Anglo-French summit to be held for five years, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic and tensions with the previous government, which was led by Boris Johnson, over Brexit.

The relationship between Sunak and Macron has been called “Le Bromance”.

Sunak described Macron as a “friend of Britain”, while Mr Macron hailed a “new beginning” in relations between the two countries.

Sunak made an announcement about the deal by saying; “Last year I agreed the largest ever small boats deal with France to increase UK-funded patrols by 40%.

“This week I announced measures to ensure nobody who enters the UK illegally can remain here.

“We don’t need to manage this problem; we need to break it.

“And today, we have gone further than ever before to put an end to this disgusting trade in human life.

“Working together, the UK and France will ensure that nobody can exploit our systems with impunity.”