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Written question asked by Lord Blencathra (Conservative) on Friday, 18 September 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 2 October 2020. It was answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford (Conservative) on Friday, 2 October 2020 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum: English Channel

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have paid (1) to the government of France, and (2) organisations based in France, in the last five years to limit asylum seekers crossing the English Channel illegally; and what assessment they have made of whether the government of France has met the commitments of any agreements in place to limit such crossings.

Answer

The UK and France maintain a longstanding relationship on tackling illegal migration at the shared border and the UK has committed several funding packages to supporting this work in recent years. These include:

o In September 2019 the Joint Action Plan on Combatting Illegal Migration Involving Small Boats (‘Small Boats Action Plan’) was signed. The UK committed €3.6m (£3.25m) to tackling the issue. These funds were utilised for the delivery of strategic communications campaigns and the provision of equipment to improve detection of small boats crossings. This was later supplemented with a further €2.5m (£2.25m) in the 19/20 Financial Year, which was dedicated to the deployment of Gendarme Reservists and further strengthening preventive security measures at the French coast.

o In January 2018 both countries signed the Sandhurst Treaty, under which the UK made a commitment of €50 million (£45.5m) for activity to prevent illegal migration.

The UK and France are committed to ensuring value for money in investment. The UK and France carried out a joint review of bilateral cooperation under the Sandhurst Treaty, which concluded that this programme of work has made a difference to illegal migration. France also continues to invest significant resource into tackling this issue as part of a joint response with the UK.

In addition to the above sums outlined, we have also invested the following:

o The September 2014 Joint Declaration committed £12m for security improvements at Calais, Dunkirk, and the Eurotunnel terminal at Coquelles. This was supplemented by £1 million for fencing and by £1.7 million to support an enhanced secure freight zone at Calais.

o In 2015, both countries signed a Joint Declaration which committed £45.96 million (majority to Eurotunnel) towards security enhancements of the juxtaposed controls and to moving migrants into reception centres across France.

o This was followed by payments in 2016 (£17 million) and a further (£36 million) to strengthen the border and maintain the operation of the juxtaposed controls.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL8269
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Asylum Finance Undocumented migrants France English Channel
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk