UK to pay France extra £16m in stopgap deal to patrol Channel beaches

The UK will pay France an extra £16.2m to keep police patrolling Channel beaches and prevent a surge in small-boat crossings after negotiators failed to agree a permanent deal before a midnight deadline. The stopgap arrangement, which will last for two months, comes after French negotiators refused to agree to UK demands for further interventions and patrols to stop asylum seekers from reaching the UK via the Channel. It is understood the French government also refused to guarantee that patrols would continue without extra funds. Signed off by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, the temporary deal comes after a deadlock...