France, UK sign deal to stop asylum seekers crossing Channel
Al JazeeraNov 03, 2022
The Facts
During a trip to Paris, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday signed a revised deal with France in an attempt to reduce illegal English Channel boat crossings. As part of the deal, there will be a 40% uplift in French police patrolling beaches.
The deal will see the UK pay £63M ($74M) yearly to France, an increase on last year's £54M ($63.5M) funding. Alongside the increase in patrolling police, the UK will also pay for more surveillance equipment such as drones and night vision goggles.
The Spin
Left narrative
This 843-word deal lacks sufficient detail and is the entirely wrong approach. With even the PM himself admitting it won't bring an immediate end to the Channel problem, a greater focus should be placed on first clearing the UK's current asylum backlog rather than the moral failure of focusing entirely on enforcement.
Right narrative
The government must stop the growing flow of boats that politicians for years have hoped would go unnoticed by the British public. The current soft border policy is a mistake, which will only fuel further crisis and tragedy. So called "human rights campaigners" now dictate UK immigration policy; many of those attempting to illegally enter the nation are from safe countries and should be sent home.
