Policy paper

Addendum to the joint action plan by the United Kingdom and France on combatting illegal migration involving small boats in the English Channel (accessible version)

Updated 15 October 2019

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

JOINT ACTION PLAN BY THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK) AND FRANCE ON COMBATTING ILLEGAL MIGRATION INVOLVING SMALL BOATS IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER 2019

1. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner met in Paris on 29th August to review progress against the January Action Plan. They agreed that the Plan needed to be updated in reaction to the increasing number of migrant crossings and the two deaths that had recently tragically occurred.

2. The Action Plan will be subject to regular review to assess the delivery of results and to ensure that actions remain appropriate as circumstances change.

3. The Ministers recognised that significant progress had been made in implementing the Action Plan. In particular:

• over €2 million had been spent on or committed to new detection equipment for French forces,
• seven smuggling networks had been dismantled since January,
• over 30 asylum-seeking migrants had been returned to France under Dublin arrangements,
• the French side had prevented the departure of 700 migrants,
• nearly all migrants at sea had been detected and escorted safely to the UK without incident.

4. However, we face a persistent and evolving threat and the summer months have provided the conditions for a high number of crossings. There is therefore a clear need to reinforce the current cooperation measures to improve the prevention of successful migrant crossings and reduce human trafficking and the loss of human lives at sea. Improved results can only be attained by targeted additional investments and a clearer identification of operational solutions to the small boat problem.

5. Therefore, Ministers agreed to supplement the Plan as follows:

Objectives

6. It is agreed that the immediate objective should be to halve the number of successful migrant crossings from the number accounted for during the summer months by the end of October, and to reduce it further by the end of December 2019, such that by Spring 2020 it has become an infrequent phenomenon.

7. It is reaffirmed that loss of life at sea is to be avoided at all costs.

Accountabilities and value for money

8. There shall be an identified official on each side responsible for overseeing implementation of the Plan and achieving its objectives. The senior responsible officers are:

• The UK Director for Crime and Enforcement, Home Office
• Préfet délégué pour la défense et la sécurité, zone de défense Nord The Préfet délégué pour la défense et la sécurité will work in collaboration with M. le Préfet du Pas-de-Calais in regard to the operational implementation of security measures.

9. These officials will report to Ministers through the UK-France Migration Committee. They will report on the cost-effectiveness of investments made and their added value, as well as identifying priority areas of activity against changing trends of migrant and trafficker activity.

Ways of working

10. Officials will seek to develop joint-working arrangements so that this is a genuine partnership activity and not merely a collection of coordinated actions.

Finance

11. The unallocated portion of the Sandhurst funding of €7m identified in January 2019 remains available to finance activities designed to meet the objectives set out above and which meet the ways of working criteria.

Beyond this term, further activities may require additional UK support once existing resources have been utilised. Any additional funding intended to meet new challenges would be subject to a new agreement and based on a robust results framework.

Further Actions

A. Increasing interceptions through enhanced operational cooperation

A.1 The current assessment is that the measure which will have most impact is the prevention of departures of boats from France before they are launched through increasing the number of active patrols along the French coast.

• This can be done in the short term by deploying additional Gendarmerie reservists, rendered possible by UK support, to reinforce existing resources there. A total of 45 officers per day, on duty in teams of five will provide 24/7 cover, effectively doubling assets on the ground. There will be transparency concerning deployments.
• This additional resource is crucial to achieving the target of reducing by at least 50% the number of successful migrant crossings from French beaches which were accounted for during the summer months. It will be provided in the first instance until the end of December, subject to a review of its impact in November.
• This force will operate under the control of the French government to agreed deployment and performance objectives, which will be overseen by the official UK-France Migration Committee. UK officers will be deployed in a liaison role to help ensure all action on both sides of the Channel is joined up.
• To support the Gendarme deployment, France and the UK intend to develop and design an intelligence led support structure using UK assets. In carrying out its functions, the Gendarmerie is expected to utilise the capability of the FrenchBritish Information and Coordination Centre.

A.2 Enhance day-to-day practical cooperation between the relevant French and UK enforcement agencies through a joint conference in October which will agree specific deliverables.

B. Tackling criminal gangs through strengthened intelligence collaboration

B.1 Deployment in France of additional intelligence sources to increase intelligence on the organised criminal gangs driving much of the small boat traffic. All efforts will be made to streamline the necessary permissions and protocols required to enable additional intelligence sources on a reciprocal basis.

C. Changing migrant behaviour through direct engagement and deterrence

C.1 Deployment of joint debriefing teams in France – to debrief migrants encountered on the beach and to provide information in informal migrant camps about the relative attractiveness of France compared to the UK as a destination for asylum seekers.

C.2 Action to deter repeated attempts to cross the Channel and increase returns – it is important to provide visible consequences for migrants detected in France seeking to cross the Channel in small boats. For example by:

• Capturing and sharing data on individuals who have been detected to prevent them from trying again. This can be particularly important in connection with the shared objective of increasing returns (paragraph 14 of the Action Plan), where evidence of presence and time spent in France can be an important factor in facilitating swift returns to France.
• The UK and France confirming our joint commitment to cooperation to ensure returns are expedited and maximised in all circumstances.
• Keeping returns arrangements under review in the light of any changing circumstances.

Signed:

Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, Home Secretary, United Kingdom

Christophe Castaner, Ministre de l’Intérieur, France