Rishi's Victory: Deal With French To Fix Boats Crisis

PM persuades Macron to stop Channel crossings with more 'boots on ground'

- Michael Knowles

PM secures more patrols to smash the migrant crossing gangs on the beaches

RISHI Sunak's charm offensive with the French President has paid dividends with an advantageous deal to secure greater co-operation to end the Channel migrant crisis.

The Prime Minister has won over Emmanuel Macron to bolster patrols on French beaches but will have to pay millions of pounds more to guarantee French support.

Mr Sunak declared he wants to "strengthen and deepen" co-operation between London and Paris to end the Channel migrant crisis.

He will travel to Paris tomorrow for the first UK-France summit in five years.

He is set to announce a fresh agreement with French the President to put more "boots on the ground" just months after a £63million deal saw the number of officers increase by 40 per cent.

Sources in France have revealed officials are ready "to do more", warning that a crackdown on people-smuggling gangs needs "concerted co-operation".

The PM said: "I was really pleased at the end of last year that we managed to announce the largest ever small-boats deal with France, which led to a 40 per cent increase of patrols on French beaches and increased co-ordination between our teams. And, in general, a re-establishment of the Calais Group of northern European countries, of which we are a part, to tackle this. Because it is a shared challenge that many countries are facing, we're not alone in facing this challenge.

"So on Friday, hopefully, we can continue to strengthen and deepen that co-operation in those areas.