UK Signs £662M Deal with France, First Conviction for Channel Crossing Endangerment
The UK signed a £662 million deal with France on April 23 to curb Channel crossings, funding police units and a detention center. Concurrently, an Afghan national was the first convicted for endangering others during a sea crossing. The UK also closed 11 asylum hotels and faces criticism over over 50 young asylum seeker deaths since 2015 and declining protection for Afghan women.
The UK and France signed a three-year agreement on April 23, with the UK committing £662 million to prevent Channel crossings by small boats. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Laurent Nuñez signed the deal, which funds five new police units, including a 50-officer riot squad, 20 additional maritime officers, 12 intelligence officers, two helicopters, a camera system, and a «removal centre» for detention and deportation.
Critics, including Imran Hussain from the Refugee Council and Jo Cobley from Safe Passage International, argue that focusing on policing the Channel addresses symptoms, not causes, and that without safe routes, desperate people will continue to attempt dangerous crossings.
Separately, Tajik Mohammad, an Afghan national, became the first person convicted of endangering others during a sea crossing to the UK. He pleaded guilty on April 22 at Canterbury Crown Court to piloting an overcrowded boat intercepted on January 17 and is due for sentencing on June 10. Another man, Sudanese national Alnour Mohamed Ali, pleaded not guilty on April 11 to a similar charge after four people died attempting to board a boat he allegedly piloted two days prior; he is scheduled to appear in court on May 11.
The UK government announced the closure of 11 asylum accommodation hotels on April 15, citing £65 million in savings and a shift to larger, basic accommodation sites. This move was criticized by opposition politicians and NGOs. Max Wilkinson of the Liberal Democrats and Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council argued that this only displaces the problem and that large military sites are more expensive and isolate asylum seekers.
A new report by the Da’aro Youth Project revealed that over 50 young asylum applicants have died in the UK since 2015, with at least 31 suicides. The highest number of deaths (seven suicides and seven other deaths) occurred in 2024. Sarah Robson, head of the project, called the data shocking, highlighting the vulnerability of unaccompanied young people and the asylum system's focus on deterrence. Additionally, a briefing by Amnesty International UK and the Gender Action for Peace and Security Network raised concerns about Afghan women being denied protection, noting a sharp drop in asylum recognition rates from 96% to 34% since May 2024, with at least 370 Afghan women and girls refused asylum in 2025 alone.