UK to pay £55m to French border patrols to fund migrant clampdown

Priti Patel strikes deal as number of people making voyage this year reaches 8,452, eclipsing 2020’s total

The UK taxpayer is to hand over a further €62.7m (£55m) to France to fund another clampdown on small-boat crossings of the Channel, the Home Office has revealed.

The home secretary, Priti Patel, agreed to pay the sum as part of a deal reached with the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, on Tuesday.